So Wrong, So Right
by MizJoely
Summary: Khan retrieves his crew from the Enterprise, and offers a deal. Dr. Molly Hooper comes aboard the hijacked dreadnought to help revive his crew, not knowing the darkly intriguing superhuman has other plans for her. Khanolly omegaverse. Cover art by sherlolly29 used w/permission.
1. Prologue: Into Darkness

_A/N: My second Khanolly story, although I posted bits and pieces of it on tumblr (mostly inspired by lovely BC as Khan photosets). Reworked into an omegaverse story. Definitely TBC and definitely will be rated M._

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"You've lost, Commander. Send Dr. Hooper over to revive my crew and in return I'll make sure the hostages make it back to the Enterprise intact." Khan smirked. "Well. Relatively intact. Your captain is a bit the worse for wear, I'm afraid, and Dr. Marcus and Engineer Scott could use some medical attention as well."

"And what of the Admiral and his men?" Spock asked, his tone even and expression calm for a man who had just surrendered.

Khan allowed a cold smile to cross his lips. "Dead," he said succinctly. Even though Kirk had insisted on stunning their opponents, Khan hadn't hesitated to flood the ship (with the exception of the bridge, naturally) with a poison of his own creation, fast acting and fatal, dispersed through the air vents and substituted for the usual anti-intruder anesthetic gas by him during the ship's construction.

He and the Vulcan traded stares for a fraught moment before Spock finally conceded victory to their foe. "Very well. Dr. Hooper will be ready to attend to your crew in…"

"Now just a damn minute!" A new voice interrupted the negotiations, and Khan watched in cool amusement as Dr. McCoy moved up to stand by Spock's side, glaring openly at the Augment. "I'm not lettin' any of my people beam over to that death trap you call a starship, damn you! I'll come myself, I know the procedures to follow…"

"No." Khan's voice was hard, his expression even colder and more forbidding. "Dr. Hooper or no one."

"Dr. McCoy, stand down," Spock ordered, recognizing the implacable tones for what they were: the sound of a man on the verge of retracting a previous offer. "Dr. Hooper will be in no danger as long as she does as Khan requires her to do. Is that not true?" he asked, returning his challenging gaze to the face on the viewscreen.

Khan nodded regally. "Of course. I guarantee Dr. Hooper's safety while she is on board the _Botany Bay_." He'd renamed the starship after the long-lost sleeper ship that had housed him and his crew for three centuries of sleep, a deliberately ironic choice. "And once she has completed the task of awakening my crew, as I've already stated, all the hostages will be returned to you and you will be allowed to limp back to Federation space as best you can." That his own destination would be elsewhere went without saying but was understood by all.

McCoy looked as if he was about to voice more objections, but Spock silenced him with a look. "Very well, Khan. Dr. Hooper will beam over in five minutes."

Khan settled back in the captain's chair as the viewscreen went dark, steepling his hands beneath his chin and smiling, a private smile, not the darkly triumphant one he'd worn while confronting his defeated foes.

He'd wanted his crew, his family, back, and now he had them. He'd wanted his revenge against Admiral Marcus, and had exacted that revenge, crushing the man's skull in front of his daughter's horrified eyes. The only thing missing now was the woman he'd selected for his mate.

And shortly, he would have her, too.


	2. First Contact

_A/N: KendraPendragon wondered if there would be any sort of flashback...and the answer is yes and here it is! :) Enjoy!_

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**Previously (**_**Enterprise**_** Sickbay)**

She wasn't the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on, by far. Nor the most graceful; Khan's eyes tracked the young doctor's slender, petite form as she stumbled over a piece of medical equipment and nearly sprawled on her face. One of the nurses, a young man with wiry red hair and a host of freckles covering nearly every inch of exposed skin, laughingly steadied her, and she grinned her thanks at him, the two of them unaware they were being observed.

No, not the most beautiful or the most graceful, but her scent…ah, her scent. His nostrils twitched as the overpowering scent of Omega filled them. How had it happened, how could there be an Omega female existing in this sterile Federation he'd been awakened to? Earth had long since eliminated any of the genetic enhancements that had been surreptitiously made their way into the general Human population three hundred years earlier, or so he'd believed. Yet here was living proof that somehow, somewhere, the unintended side-effect of the Augmentation process that he and his loyal crew had undergone at the hands of Doctor Noonian Soong and his associates had somehow survived the frenzied, short-sighted attempts to stamp it out.

It was all he could do to keep himself still, to remain seated on the biobed, knowing that the manacles that had been placed around his wrists could easily be destroyed by him, that the first unbonded Omega female he'd seen or scented in over three centuries was close enough to taste. But now wasn't the time; if things worked out as he planned, he would find a way to take her away with him. The female members of his crew were either lifebonded, like his best friend Joachim and his Omega wife Maria, or Alphas like himself, making for far too volatile a pairing for more than brief, physical couplings. Satisfying enough in the moment, but ultimately leading to an empty, sterile existence.

Dr. Hooper's smile faded as she caught Khan staring at her, her brown eyes widening as she took in the sight of him. He'd assumed she was one of the junior medical officers serving under McCoy, and was both pleased and surprised to hear her referred to as the cynical CMO's second in command. His already heightened interest in her skyrocketed at the revelation, and he bit back a wolfish grin. The Omega female wasn't merely intelligent, but must be truly remarkable to have gained such a valued posting at the young age of – his eyes raked her form from head to toe and back again before once again steadily meeting hers – twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

He continued to hold her gaze while his guards remained vigilant at his side and the rest of the medical staff warily went about their business. He ignored them all, hyper-focused on her and only her, his mind sifting through the various scenarios that might come to pass in the near future, and how he could best fit her into his plans, and ultimately, his future. The thought brought a blaze of satisfaction through his body, although he only allowed himself to show it in a slight quirk of his lips.

As if that small movement had broken some sort of spell, Dr. Hooper – Molly, he heard one of her colleagues call her – gasped and turned away from him, busying herself with a handheld data padd…but not before he saw her cheeks pinkening.

His smile subsided, but his satisfaction continued to rise. If things played out as he expected them to, he would eventually have the opportunity to see if her blushes went only as far as her neck, or extended down her torso and beyond.

**The Present**

Molly Hooper looked around nervously as she materialized on the transporter pad of the massive dreadnought-class starship Khan had commandeered. She knew that the Enterprise was entirely at this man's mercy, and yet she still felt a thrill of excitement at the thought of seeing him again. It troubled her, because normally she wasn't one to fall in lust at first sight, as her Deltan roommate would have put it, but from the moment she first laid eyes on 'John Harrison' she'd felt a pull toward him like no man she'd ever dated.

Part of it was that he just smelled so damned _good_, and she couldn't even explain why. Certainly a man who'd been hiding out in an abandoned city on the Klingon homeworld wasn't going to be splashing on aftershave, yet there was a crisp, woodsy smell about him that practically made her mouth water, and she was at a loss to explain why.

After that unsettling meeting with him in Sickbay, Molly had studied everything she could about Khan Noonien Singh. She discovered some interesting personal information, such as the fact that he was the first successful Augment, and had been named after the two geneticists who'd secretly created his kind during the bad old days of the mid 21st century, when Earth had been wracked by war after war with seemingly no end in sight.

She had plenty of time to study more about him and the Augments after he and Captain Kirk had apparently shot themselves like human missiles at the looming enemy vessel (hard to think of a Starfleet ship as the enemy, but Admiral Marcus appeared to have gone completely off his trolley). Khan and his Augments had disappeared before Zephram Cochrane's historic first Warp flight and the introduction of the Vulcans, a footnote in history written in very confusing and conflicting accounts. Some accused them – and the geneticists who'd created them – of wanting to rule the world; there were even some accounts that claimed they'd been the ones to start the wars in the first place, although Molly easily discounted those, since the timing just wasn't right. She'd heard the saying "history is written by the victors" many times, but this was the first time she'd seen such clear evidence of such bias.

And now she was about to see Khan and his crew up close and personal again, this time helping to unfreeze them from their cryotubes in exchange for the lives of the prisoners Khan held hostage. Technically she supposed she now fit into that category, but she tried not to allow her fears to overcome her. She was a Starfleet officer, a medical doctor, and was posted on the flagship of the fleet not because of some political machinations but because of her skill and dedication.

Those skills and that dedication would be put to the test today. She stepped off the transporter pad and headed for the door, wondering at the fact that no one was there to either greet or escort her. Then she mentally smacked herself; of course no one was there! Captain Kirk and the others were prisoners, the Augments were still frozen, which meant the only person awake and free on this ship at the moment was…

"Khan," she breathed as the transporter room doors opened and he appeared in front of her as if summoned by her thoughts.

He was still clad all in black, his dark hair a bit mussed and the expression on his face stormy at first, but rapidly clearly as a pleased smile flashed across his lips. Molly could have sworn it was sincere, that it reached his otherwise icy blue-green eyes, but it was there and gone so quickly she began to doubt herself. Especially as he said nothing to her, simply reached out and grabbed her by the wrist, tugging to ensure that she followed along.

She didn't bother trying to pull free, telling herself it was because there was no point; he was physically superior in every way and she was just a normal human, but the rapid beating of her heart had as much to do with the (purely physical) attraction she'd felt ever since first laying eyes on him as it did with the (rightly justified) fear she was feeling.

But God, did he smell good, even better now that they were in such close proximity to one another. The crisp woodsy smell was supplemented now by something smoky and dark and exotic and entirely distracting. It was enticing, that smell, made her want to push him up against the nearest bulkhead and run her tongue along his throat.

"Pheromones."

Molly jumped a bit at the sound of his voice. She'd been so lost in her own confused longings that she hadn't realized he'd been studying her as they walked. "Sorry, what?" she asked, glancing up at him sidelong.

"Pheromones," he repeated, eyes straight ahead as he continued to pull her along at break-neck speed. "Your reaction to me…my scent, in particular," he added, eyes darting to meet hers briefly before returning to the corridor ahead of them. "I have the same reaction to you," he added, only deepening her confusion.

She knew what pheromones were, of course, but humans generally couldn't smell them on a conscious level. Yes, Khan was a genetically-altered Augment, but that didn't explain why she, a normal human, was reacting to his pheromones. Unless of course it was simply that he emitted them more strongly, and as someone who'd always had a sensitive nose, she was able to smell them. A simple biological explanation, although why he would admit to having the same reaction to her made no sense. Or did it? Was that scent part of the reason he'd selected her for this mission, rather than the much more experienced Dr. McCoy? Did he find her…attractive?

Molly quashed that thought as quickly as it crossed her mind. Not only was it inappropriate on a professional level – she was here as doctor, after all – but it was all kinds of wrong on a personal level. This man was a terrorist, who was responsible for the deaths of dozens of people back on Earth. And if the historical records could be trusted at all (which she still doubted, since those times had been so chaotic and war-torn), he'd been responsible for thousands if not millions of other deaths three hundred years ago. In no ways a man she should feel any sort of connection to.

And yet…

She did. And nothing that could be explained away by something as simplistic as a physical reaction to pheromones, either. Something she would like to explore if she ever had the chance.

But not today. Today she had a mission. She would revive Khan's seventy-two crewmembers, see that they were in good health, then leave with Captain Kirk, Chief Engineer Scott, and Dr. Marcus, return to the _Enterprise_ and very likely never see Khan or his crew ever again.

She spent the remainder of the journey to the flight deck trying to convince herself that that was exactly what she wanted.


	3. Meet the Family

_Slightly revised, but an important revision because it was something I should have put into the story in the first place. Grrr, so bad of me!_

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It was done. Khan's crew had been revived, all were in excellent health and showing no ill effects from their three hundred-plus years of unconsciousness, and their leader was greeting them and promising explanations while Molly hung back and watched, hugging her medical tricorder to her chest. He was particularly effusive when he greeted a slightly older, shorter ash-blonde man; they hugged warmly and exchanged comments Molly was too far away to hear.

"Joachim," a voice spoke from her side. She looked over, nervous about coming to anyone's attention, to see another man with a shock of short, grey hair and a wry smile on his face. "That's Khan's second in command," he added by way of further explanation. "And I'm Gregor, although Khan will most likely call me Graham or Gavin," he added, his grin turning rueful and yet fond at the same time. Matching the tone of his voice. "Stupid game he likes to play, even though we've known each other…well, forever, it feels like."

Molly felt herself relaxing in the man's presence, when she knew she should remain vigilant, on guard, alert for any way of escaping or at least learning something that could prove of value to Captain Kirk when they were returned to their own ship. But then, maybe personal information about Khan's crew had some value; she had no idea if Admiral Marcus had records of who his prisoners had been. "Were you…part of the same program?" she found the courage to ask. It wasn't just Gregor's easy manner that encouraged her, but it was the genuine warmth he exuded, along with a subtle, musky scent that was nearly as appealing as Khan's.

He nodded, not appearing at all worried about sharing information with her in spite of the fact that she was a complete stranger. Maybe her appearance of cooperation – well, more than an appearance – was enough to cause him to trust her? Of course, the fact that he could snap her neck like a twig probably helped. As did the fact that Molly was vastly outnumbered even if some of the Augments were still easing the cramps out of their limbs and finding their mental and physical bearings in the strange new world they'd woken up to. So why not pass the time chatting her up?

That thought brought her up short; he wasn't _flirting_ with her, for God's sake! If anything he was softening her up in the hopes that she might give him some information he and his fellow Augments could use. Maybe Khan himself had asked Gregor to keep her company…no, that theory wouldn't fly. Not when she looked up and saw Khan himself striding toward them, his face like thunder and clearly displeased about something.

Gregor laughed. "Uh oh, looks like someone's about to get all possessive over his Omega," he said, making absolutely no sense to Molly as he eased away from her. As Khan strode up to them, the older man raised his hands in an appeasing gesture. "Don't worry, Khan, I kept my hands to myself. I know better than to get between an Alpha and his Omega." Then he did something odd, tilting his head to one side as if baring his neck to the other man, as if they were wolves or dogs and he was showing submission to a pack leader. His odd choice of words only strengthened that impression, as did Khan's reaction to the movement – he actually bent his head down and laid his teeth on the man's throat.

Molly watched, fascinated, as Khan released the light grip of his teeth – he'd barely bit down hard enough to leave a mark – and glowered at Gregor. "Irena could use some help, her legs are cramping and a brisk massage should do the trick, then check on Séamus and Bastián, they both seem a bit out of sorts." Gregor nodded and walked away without a backward glance.

Khan of course said nothing about the odd display Molly had just witnessed, simply glowered at her for a moment before reaching out and grabbing her hand the way he had in the transporter room. "It's time to check out the prisoners, Dr. Hooper, and ready them for their return journey. My crew all appear to be in good health, but I've asked them to report to Sickbay for you to give them each a more thorough vetting before we conclude our business with Starfleet and continue the search Admiral Marcus so rudely interrupted."

"Search for what?" Molly found the courage to ask.

"For a new home," Khan replied simply, then they were moving too quickly for Molly to spare the breath for more questions.

**oOo**

She wasn't allowed to tend to her fellow prisoners' injuries in more than a cursory manner; a hypospray of painkillers each for Captain Kirk and Doctor Marcus, a milder dose for Commander Scott, some old-fashioned bandaging, and she was escorted from the brig to Sickbay to tend to the people whose welfare Khan truly cared for. Within a few hours, with the assistance of the man Gregor had identified as Joachim – who was also a doctor and very quick to learn how to use a diagnostic tricorder once Molly showed him – everyone had been given a clean bill of health, including a lovely blonde named Maria who turned out to be both a nurse and Joachim's wife. Molly was touched to see the real love between the two of them, and heartened at the thought that the Augments were still human at heart, in spite of their checkered reputations and the unfortunate deeds of their leader in recent months. Molly had seen the undisguised hatred in Carol Marcus' eyes when she looked at Khan, and Captain Kirk's expression had been guarded but Molly had seen his anger behind the stoic mask he presented.

She'd felt so guilty when Khan escorted her to the brig to treat the prisoners, and had winced at the extent of the damage Kirk had suffered at Khan's hands, but the captain had quietly reassured her that he approved of her doing as Commander Spock had asked her to. That had gone a long way toward easing her guilt about giving aid and comfort to the enemy, and since Khan's long-term goal was apparently to get as far away from Earth and the Federation as possible, she knew she just needed to keep herself together for a little while longer and she would be able to return to her life on the _Enterprise_.

All she wanted, she told herself as she left Sickbay and headed for the transporter room where Captain Kirk and the others were currently being held under guard, was for her life to get back to something resembling normal.

**oOo**

Molly stared in shock as Captain Kirk, Chief Engineer Scott, and Dr. Marcus vanished into streams of electronic particles, beamed back to the _Enterprise_ by Khan. Returned, but without her. She turned to stare at him. "Why aren't I going with them?" She was proud of herself for not stuttering in fear, even as her heart threatened to pound its way out of her chest.

His gaze was unreadable as he responded, "I only promised to return the _hostages_, Dr. Hooper." He stepped forward, close enough that she had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze. She held her breath as he reached out and ghosted his fingers along the side of her face before adding softly, "You, however, were never a hostage."

All she could do was continue to stare at him, this dark, terrifyingly attractive man, and wonder what he had in mind for her.

The two guards who had accompanied their little group to the transporter room had holstered their phasers as soon as Captain Kirk and the others were gone. Once again, Molly knew it was because she wasn't a threat, and once again, she felt a welling tide of helpless bitterness growing at being thus dismissed. Well, of course she wasn't a threat; the only question was, what game was Khan playing, why was he keeping her on board his commandeered starship – and what did he plan to do with her?

The sound of the ship's comm activating caught her attention, and she felt her heart skip as she heard Captain Kirk's voice filling the room. "Khan! You said you'd return us all! Send Dr. Hooper back to the _Enterprise_ now!"

Khan, looking as unruffled and in command as always, strolled over to the transporter controls and spoke directly into the comm. "Sorry, Captain, but Dr. Hooper was never a hostage. Limp home to Starfleet with your broken ship, Kirk, and remember that she is the only reason I've decided to keep my word and not blast you and your crew into smithereens." Then he cut off the communication and turned his attention back to Molly. "Take Dr. Hooper to her quarters," he instructed, keeping his eyes locked with hers. "Then join the rest of us in the main briefing room, two decks down, so I can further explain this remarkable new world into which we've awoken."

"Yes, Khan," one of the men – a burly redhead with Slavic features – responded with a respectful bow of his head. "This way, Dr. Hooper," he said, but Molly backed away from him and shook her head.

"I won't, won't help you anymore," she said, speaking directly to Khan and loathing the stutter in her voice. "I did what I was sent over here to do, and there's no way you can force me to do anything…else." She faltered to a stop, not because Khan seemed angry at her quiet defiance, but because he was…smiling at her? She didn't understand what was so amusing, and retreated into anger to cover her confusion. "I mean it," she said, more forcefully this time. "I won't cooperate with you anymore."

He nodded agreeably. "I'm sure you won't." The he stepped closer to her and lowered his head so that his lips just brushed her ear as he said in a low, purring voice, "At least, not until I manage to persuade you to change your mind. Which we both know I will."

Then he was gone, leaving her completely off balance, alone with the two guards, who quietly but determinedly escorted her to the quarters that had apparently been set up for her without her knowledge. They locked her inside and she sank down on the narrow bunk as reaction finally set in with a vengeance. Her legs were trembling…no, her entire body was trembling, and tears were threatening and her nostrils were filled with the heady scent of Khan and she was at a complete loss as to why, when he'd spoken to her so intimately, all she'd wanted to do was bare her neck to him as Gregor had done, and allow him to sink his teeth into her exposed throat. It made her feel like the heroine in a romantic vampire vid, the kind her Academy roommate had watched obsessively and which Molly had openly scoffed at.

What the hell was wrong with her? She didn't understand any of it, not her reactions, why Khan was keeping her…why was he keeping her? Because he wanted to have sex with her? That much seemed clear, but she had no idea what was so special about her – especially after seeing how stunningly beautiful some of the women she'd helped to revive were. Did he expect her to continue to teach Joachim modern medical techniques? That seemed a bit far-fetched as well; it had taken 'John Harrison' less than a year to come up to speed enough on modern engineering principles to be able to design the ship she was currently imprisoned on. She assumed the rest of the Augments were just as quick to learn as he was, and even if they weren't, there was no way she would teach any of them anything.

Confused and frightened, she curled up on the narrow bunk and stared blankly at the bulkhead for a long, long time before sleep finally overtook her.


	4. The New Normal

_A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing as always, and special thanks to allthebellsinvenice for betaing this particular chapter. :)_

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**Two Months Later**

"Dr. Hooper? Time for your suppressant."

Molly stifled a sigh; even after two months spent moving steadily away from Federation and Klingon space into the uncharted vastness of the galaxy, Khan still refused to allow her to administer the hypo containing the suppressant for her estrus – or heat, as he and the other Augments called it – herself. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, or so Maria and Joachim had tried to reassure her; it was that he wished external verification that she had, indeed, been injected with the cocktail of medications that would keep her from turning into a lust-crazed sex maniac. Most of the time he did it himself, but today he and a half-dozen crew members were on the planet they were currently orbiting, examining it as a potential new home for them all.

She turned and offered Maria a tight grin, which she knew the other woman saw through as easily as she saw through most people's falsities. Including Khan; Molly was secretly impressed not only by Maria's ability to tell when Khan was fibbing, but also by the way she was unafraid of calling him out on it the few times he did so.

For example, like the time he'd tried to tell Molly that if she didn't cooperate and act as a full member of his crew, following his commands as the others did, he would keep her locked in her cabin for the remainder of her days. Maria had simply quirked an eyebrow at him – they had been in Sickbay because Molly had begun exhibiting some troubling symptoms she knew now were the first signs of estrus – and he had scowled and folded his arms across his chest. "Fine, then, do as you wish," he'd snapped while Molly had looked back and forth between him and Maria, confused and feverish. "Agree to be part of my crew or not, but just know that you will not be returning to your precious Federation ever again."

That was when she'd learned that they were speeding away into uncharted territory, and why. Finding a new home, the safe haven they'd been pursuing when they left Earth the first time three hundred years earlier, was still their primary goal. An uninhabited world; that part had surprised and secretly pleased Molly, who was slowly learning to think of Khan as something other than a power-mad super-villain from a kid's holo-vid series.

After Khan had left, Maria and Joachim had explained the science behind the heat suppressant she was about to go on – and why her heat had been triggered – even as they busied themselves synthesizing it. "It's because you're surrounded by Alphas instead of baseline Humans," John had said as he took careful readings of her from skin to subcutaneous tissue and everything in between. Particularly her reproductive system. "Your latent Omega genes are being expressed by that change in environment."

"It's a change in your phenotype rather than your genome," Maria had added helpfully. Molly's own knowledge of genetics made their words easy to translate; the music on the page would remain unchanged, with the differences being only in how the song was being played. The suppressant they were synthesizing for her would work on her hormones rather than directly on her genes, easing her unconscious fears that Khan and the others were somehow altering her biology to suit their own needs.

She'd felt the easing of her symptoms – fever, nausea, a vaguely itching sensation, heightened sensitivity to smells and an excessive amount of vaginal discharge – almost immediately. Now, she was used to the once-weekly shots, and had stopped resenting the need for them, even though she still didn't consider herself a part of Khan's crew. Nor did she think of herself as being under his command, but she was resigned to living her life on board the fugitive spacecraft. One of the last Federation subspace information packets they'd intercepted had been a grim announcement of the commencement of hostilities with the Klingon Empire. So Admiral Marcus posthumously had his war, had been Molly's despairing thought. A war that would keep Starfleet far too busy to pursue one errant starship, no matter how valuable its armaments and weaponry might prove to be – and no matter how badly they wanted the terrorist currently commanding said ship to be taken into custody.

She hadn't known what to expect during her first few weeks, even after Khan's threat to keep her locked up had turned out to be a bluff. That it was called by one of his own people had been a surprise, but a pleasant one; although Molly was wary of calling any of these people friends, Joachim, Maria and Gregor certainly came closest – and were definitely among the minority whose opinion of her wasn't neutral-at-best, hostile-at-worst.

Her fears that Khan's would force himself on her had turned out, so far, to be unfounded; he never attempted any familiarities beyond casual conversation and perhaps invading her personal space a bit too closely whenever he found a need to speak to her. He'd never so much as kissed her, let alone forced her to have sex with him; the fact that he'd ordered Joachim and Maria to assist her in synthesizing the heat suppressant was telling as well. Oh, he made no bones about the fact that he wanted her in his bed, but he also made it clear he wasn't about to force her into a sexual relationship with him.

Not, he'd said once with a rather feral gleam in his eyes that still made her shiver whenever she thought about it, until she asked him to.

Because of course dominance play was central to the entire Alpha-Omega dynamic; Molly had learned that not only through studying the Augments and asking the friendlier ones questions, but also because of what she'd learned through her research. Although there were certainly no instances of humans with such atavistic qualities to be found, there were plenty of examples in non-human species, both intelligent and otherwise.

The Pa'aavri were an alien species whom the Federation had contacted and maintained friendly relations with; a segment of their population underwent rut cycles, as did Vulcans, although that was hardly common knowledge. But the females of neither species underwent anything like estrus, so the closest examples were to be found right on Earth. Wolves, for instance. And housecats. The idea of going into heat, of becoming a mewling, desperate bundle of hormones and needs was entirely unappealing. But when she expressed that opinion to Maria, she'd been surprised when the other woman had contradicted her understanding of what a heat entailed.

"Oh, yes, it's rather like being burned up from the inside out; and God the ache in your cunt until you're knotted…but Molly, quite simply, it's the most amazing sensation once you and your Alpha go through a heat together. It's when bonding occurs, when you feel as if you're fulfilling a destiny you never even knew you had or could possibly want." The normally pragmatic Omega had waxed almost lyrical on the subject, and Molly found herself fascinated and not quite as repelled at the concept as she had been before.

It did not mean, however, that she was in any way, shape or form ready to give herself to Khan. Certainly not just to satisfy her curiosity…and that, she reassured herself over and over, was all it was. Simple curiosity. The attraction was entirely one-sided.

She very carefully did not express that belief aloud, at least not in front of Maria, the Human – or rather, Augment – lie detector. Who had placed the empty hypospray back on the tray and entered the time and date into the ongoing log Khan had requested she and Joachim keep.

Once Molly had absorbed everything there was to be learned about the Alpha-Beta-Omega dynamic (Betas seemed to be little different from ordinary humans excepting their enhanced senses of smell and their abilities as Augments, of course), she'd tentatively asked Maria why Khan didn't just let her go into heat. "Then he could, he could just…have me," she'd blushingly said, not wanting to sound full of herself but also aware that Khan had made no secret of his desire for her. Gregor wasn't the only member of the crew to refer to Molly as Khan's Omega, although he was one of the few to do so without sneering contemptuously as he did so. That had thrown her off; Maria wasn't the only Omega in the crew, but it had taken Molly longer than it should have before she realized it wasn't her Omega status they were sneering at, but the fact that she wasn't an Augment.

Since there was nothing she could do about that, and since she'd never been one to fret over whether or not people liked her, she chose to ignore the ones who resented or at best tolerated her presence on the ship, and concentrated on the ones who she might one day allow herself to consider friends. Like Maria, who had carefully explained that, no matter what other crimes he might or might not have committed, Khan was certainly no rapist.

About their shared history, Maria and the others remained tight-lipped, even when Molly promised them that it was only because she wanted to hear their side of things, rather than the biographies and histories that had been written after they'd left Earth the first time. Her only answer was that it was up to Khan to tell her, and with a feeling of intense frustration she understood that that would only happen if she became his bondmate.

Or, she thought bitterly as she watched Maria smiling and chuckling at something Joachim was whispering in her ear, if she became his concubine. Because one of the many things she didn't know about Khan was whether he wanted her in his life – and bed – permanently, or just for the short-term.

The opinions of several of the females was quite clear; Irena, for example, who headed up the second duty shift and was third in command after Joachim, was of the opinion that Khan should allow Molly to fall into heat, bed her, get her with child, and then find someone more 'appropriate' with whom to bond.

Irena, of course, also made it quite clear that she considered herself the best candidate for that position, even though she was an Alpha rather than an Omega. She'd also gone out of her way to explain to Molly that she and Khan had been lovers in the past, and that she expected to be his lover again once he got over his infatuation with her.

Khan, as was typical, had said absolutely nothing on the subject. And she refused to ask him about it. Because it was none of her business, and there was absolutely no reason for her to be jealous of the other woman, to wonder if Khan would find Molly lacking as a sexual partner because she was a normal Human rather than an Augment who wore the sexiest, tightest-fitting clothing she could manage and strutted around like she owned the ship and everything on it. And only showed deference to Khan and Joachim – and Joachim only very, very grudgingly.

Molly pulled herself out of her thoughts and said good-bye as Joachim and Maria left to run some research on the latest biological specimens Khan's Away Team had beamed up from the planet's surface. That meant Molly was now alone in the spacious Sickbay, which was just fine with her; she had some research of her own to perform, but could easily do it at her desk in the office she shared with Joachim.

As she tidied up the workspace, placing the now-empty hypospray in the autoclave for sterilization and reuse, the sound of the doors opening caught her attention. She turned, expecting it to be either Joachim or Maria returning for something they'd forgotten or – as rarely happened – someone in need of medical attention, and found herself facing the very man who occupied so much of her thoughts these days.

Molly took a nervous step backwards as Khan approached. He was still wearing the hooded jacket he'd donned before beaming down to the planet and although she hated to admit it, looked good enough to eat. The expression on his face was even more intense than usual, and she wondered uneasily what he and his people had discovered during their scouting mission. "F-find anything useful?" she asked, once again castigating herself for the nervous stutter he and only he seemed able to elicit from her.

His lips curled in a slow, seductive smile, and she felt her knees weaken. God, she hated when he looked at her like that, all intensity and thinly veiled passion. His scent, that mouth-watering aroma he emitted that no amount of hormonal suppressants could disguise, intensified whenever he looked at her like that. She still had no idea why he wanted her as much as he did; oh, she was pretty enough, she knew that, had never wanted for boyfriends in the past, but compared to the women that made up almost half of his crew, she wasn't exactly a supermodel. Even the matter of their compatible biologies and her status as an available, unbonded Omega didn't fully explain his desire to have her in his bed.

One of these days, she suspected, she'd find herself there whether she protested or not. And loving every second of it, her libido whispered while she stood and stared as the Alpha male who had claimed her in every way except physically approached her. "We're planning an overnight stay, Molly," he said as he stopped a precise two feet in front of her, hands folded behind his back, posture ramrod straight, eyes pinning her in place as usual. "I'll need a more extensive medical kit than the one currently on the planet's surface."

She nodded, rubbing absently at her arm before turning to fetch the required medi-kit. She stopped with a small gasp as he caught her hand in his; the sizzle of electricity that went through her every time he touched her still caught her off-guard. She wondered absently if she'd ever get used to it as she gazed up at him questioningly.

He motioned to her other arm, the one she'd just been rubbing. "The suppressant, it pains you to take it?"

She shook her head. "No, it's just…subconscious, I guess. There's a little sting from the hypospray but it's not like getting a vaccination back in the old days…Sorry!" she squeaked out, blushing as she realized she was talking to someone who technically came from 'the old days'.

Khan merely grinned and released her, falling into step beside her as she headed for the supply closet where the medikits were stored.

Of course the one she particularly wanted, the one that would Khan would find most helpful on an overnight stay on a potentially hostile planet, was up on the top shelf. Just out of her reach. She strained for it nevertheless, not wanting to ask for help, but not surprised when she saw his longer arm reaching up and easily bringing it down for her.

She felt the warmth of his body against her back and tried her hardest to bring her breathing and suddenly-racing heartbeat under control, to no avail. In the confined space of the supply closet, his scent was everywhere, surrounding her, making her dizzy with want and need, knowing full well that if she hadn't been on the suppressants she would have probably exploded into heat just from his mere proximity.

She turned quickly, thinking only that she needed to escape his overwhelming presence, only of course that just made things worse. Now she could see as well as smell him, with only the thinnest slice of air separating their bodies, and knew that he must surely be able to smell every nuance of her arousal – but that he also must surely be able to read the conflict in her eyes, in the way she nibbled on her bottom lip and the tight fists into which she'd curled her hands.

"You're not frightened of me," he said, his voice a low rumble as he peered down at her through those amazing blue-green orbs. Like tourmaline, more blue than green at the moment; a sign of his own arousal? Or just his curiosity?

She shook her head in response to his not-question. "No. Not anymore," she said, somewhat breathlessly. "But I am confused," she added, deciding now was the perfect time to confront her ambiguous feelings for this man. "I don't understand why you…what you see in me. I'm nothing special, just an ordinary Human…"

"No, you're not," he contradicted her. "You're an Omega, which means you have Augmented blood in you, the same DNA modifications everyone on board this ship has undergone, only in diluted form. Haven't you ever wondered why you were so much smarter than your so-called peers? Why things that seemed so obvious and simple to you came with much more difficulty to them?" He peered at her intently. "You didn't graduate first in your class, but not because you weren't the smartest, no, you chose to allow others to exceed you academically in a foolish attempt to 'fit in' better."

It wasn't a question, and it wasn't a guess. He was deducing her, reading her…and once again proving he knew her better than she knew herself. "Whether you knew it or not, Molly Hooper, you were always one of us," he said softly, reaching out and sliding his hand along her waist, urging her closer, pressing his body flush against hers.

When their lips met, Molly's eyes fluttered shut, and she sighed, a quiet little exhalation acknowledging the inevitability of this moment. Her hands opened and ran themselves up his arms, coming to rest on his shoulders as his arms encircled her in a firm, possessive embrace.

The sound of a discreet cough from the doorway caused Molly to pull away, blushing, while Khan turned with a growl to face the interloper. "Well, Gavin? What is it?" he snapped out.

It was Gregor of course; Molly remembered what he'd told her, how Khan would deliberately get his name wrong to chuff him, but this time the leader of the Augments didn't sound at all amused. She slipped out of arms with a murmured excuse, telling herself she wasn't running away, that she and Khan hadn't almost had sex in a supply closet like some kind of cheesy rom-com cliché.

The two men left Sickbay shortly after that, Gregor offering her an apologetic grimace followed immediately by a cheeky wink that fortunately Khan didn't catch as he stormed out ahead of the other man. He, of course, didn't even look back.


	5. A Mutual Victory

_A/N: Another chapter done and dusted! This one's rated M for smexy times, folks! Thanks to everyone who follows and favorites and especially reviews, I appreciate you all!_

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The Away Team ended up staying for three straight nights and days before returning to the ship, and when they did, it was only because one of the team managed to injure himself falling off a cliff that crumbled unexpectedly beneath his feet. Molly and Joachim worked hard and long to repair the massive internal damage he'd suffered, along with various broken bones and a brain bleed that would have killed a normal Human. Phillipe, however, was fully recovered within a matter of days, although Khan continued to call him an absolute idiot – apparently he'd been showing off for his mate Celina at the time of the accident – for the next six weeks or so.

In the end, the planet had too many problems to act as the new home base Khan and his crew of Augments were looking for, as additional scans showed that the ambient radiation levels were rising far too rapidly even for their adaptable bodies to withstand without permanent damage being done – damage even Starfleet medicine wasn't advanced enough to mitigate.

Now the _Botany Bay_ was racing to explore another promising system in uncharted – and so far unclaimed – space, and Molly was thankful that things had been far too busy and chaotic for her and Khan to spend any time alone together. That kiss had deeply unsettled her; even now, six weeks later, her stomach churned just thinking about it. Not because she hadn't enjoyed it, but because she had. She'd been both relieved and disappointed when Gregor – back to being called by his real name by Khan, finally, although Phillipe was still being referred to as 'Idiot' – had interrupted them.

That feeling of mingled gratitude and regret was resolved into a tight ball of anxiety when she returned to the quarters that had been assigned to her not far from Sickbay, to find the space entirely empty of her sparse belongings.

She looked around with increasing anxiety, but not so much as a single hair tie remained. Hands clasped nervously in front of her, she trudged back to Sickbay, to see if Joachim or Maria knew what was going on.

She made it only half-way there when she was intercepted. Khan, of course, standing in the corridor with that unnatural stillness he exuded, that masked the flurry of furious activity into which he could so quickly explode. He was clad all in black, disdaining the colorful Starfleet uniforms in plentiful supply in the quartermaster's realm, those steely blue-green eyes – looking far more blue than green today – studying her as she slowed and stopped in front of him.

"Where are my things?" she asked, willing her voice not to shake. Surely he had no intention of killing her after all this time? Not after going to so much trouble to bring her on board, making sure her heats were controlled…

He interrupted her racing, panicky thoughts with a deep chuckle that did marvelous things to her limbic system but absolutely nothing for her jitters. "I've placed them where they belong, of course. Where they've always belonged, but you've been too stubborn to accept. My quarters. Where," he added smoothly, reaching out and snaking one arm around her waist before she could gather her scattered wits long enough to protest, "you belong as well. Come along."

Before she could even think of a coherent response to those words, his lips were on hers for a demanding, possessive kiss that stole her breath away. His other arm encircled her as he teased her lower lip with tongue and teeth, nipping at her until she gasped and opened for him, allowing him to plunder her mouth as the kiss intensified. She couldn't have stopped the onslaught even if she wanted to, couldn't keep him from claiming her with his mouth and hands, with every inch of his lean, hard form.

She felt his arousal against her hip, and, heart beating madly, understood that Khan had decided that the time of their odd courtship, if it could be called that, was finally over.

Tonight, he would take what was his...and even as she damned herself for it, Molly knew she would do nothing to stop him.

**oOo**

His quarters were spacious, of course. The captain's quarters were always the most spacious on a starship, but to Molly's eyes the space bordered on luxurious. Clearly Admiral Marcus had designed this suite of rooms to impress any visitors with his importance. However, she doubted his presence would have filled the space nearly as impressively as the current captain – if Khan even thought of himself that way – did.

She was nervous, excited, jittery, terrified…so many emotions, all in conflict, but the most overwhelming of them was the sense of anticipation she felt as soon as the doors slid shut behind them – and Khan immediately keyed in a privacy lock, followed by a verbal request to the bridge. No one was to disturb him unless it was an emergency they couldn't handle…and judging by the smoldering look her flashed her as he gave his orders to Janice, the sultry Irish-born brunette currently in command on the bridge, any such emergencies had best be on the level of the imminent destruction of the universe or there would be hell to pay.

"Shower," he rumbled as he moved toward Molly, reaching down to take her hand in his in a surprisingly gentle motion. "You always take one at the end of your shift." His thumb slid along the back of her hand caressingly. "So do I."

Molly couldn't contain a shiver as he leaned down and breathed in her ear. "It's important to conserve resources on a starship, especially in deep space. We'll use less water if we share."

Khan tugged gently at Molly's hand, not bothering to hide a satisfied smile as she obediently followed along. Not that she could have escaped his grasp, no matter how gentle, but still, it pleased him to find that he was just as adept at reading people as he'd always been. Molly had been fighting her attraction to him ever since that first, electric meeting in the _Enterprise_ sickbay, at war with herself because of her sense of duty and deeply seated repugnance toward his actions back on Earth. She'd been unaware of her Omega nature at that time as well, but now that she'd come to better understand who she was, perhaps it was time he allowed to know more about himself as well. He wasn't one for explaining himself or justifying his actions to others, but for her…

"You hate the actions I took on Earth, Molly," he said as they reached the lavish head attached to his equally lavish quarters. She looked up at him, that enticing combination of unease and reluctant anticipation clear in her easily-readable features, giving her already-heady scent a spicy undertone he was hard-put to ignore. But ignore it he did, at least for the moment. He brushed a thumb across her cheek and she shivered as he continued, "But you also know that I only did it because I thought those I love had been taken from me, murdered in their sleep. Surely you can understand the need for vengeance under such circumstances."

"I can understand grief and sorrow and anger," she replied, looking up at him with a slight frown, as if wondering why he'd chosen to interrupt what was clearly meant as a seduction by bringing up unpleasant memories. "But I've never understood the need for revenge. Ever. And I doubt if I ever will."

She raised her chin defiantly, as if daring him to make fun of her naiveté, but he only chuckled ruefully and cupped her face in his hands, cradling it gently as he gazed into her eyes. "I sincerely pray that you never have to test that belief, Molly. But you should know that I count you among those I love now, and if any harm ever comes to you, make no mistake; my wrath will know no bounds." He gave her barely a moment to process what surely must be surprising information before lowering his lips to hers, kissing her deeply, drinking her in like a thirsty man in a desert. And it had been a desert for him; three hundred years in cryosleep, a year as Marcus' thrall, and now Molly, his sweet Omega, opening her mouth beneath his and returning his kiss wholeheartedly.

"Come, Molly," he murmured when she ended the kiss, gasping for breath. "I have wanted to see you naked ever since I first laid eyes on you, since I first scented the air around you and recognized you for the treasure you are. I've dreamt of you, a nymph beneath a waterfall, and tonight I will see that fantasy fulfilled. Join me."

He didn't miss the sharp intake of breath, the dilation of her pupils as her warm brown eyes widened, the sudden trembling of the hand he still held in his. Her mouth remained parted as she stared up at him, and he refrained from smiling as he read her complete surrender in her face and body language, in the subtle alteration to her scent as she finally acknowledged him as her Alpha.

Her lips were soft beneath his as he kissed her again, her mouth warm and mobile as he pulled her closer, pressing her body against his as he deepened the kiss. She moaned softly as his tongue explored the inside of her mouth, and he felt a surge of combined triumph and lust as she slid her own tongue between his lips.

Molly knew it was wrong, for so many reasons, but she also knew this moment had been building between the two of them ever since they'd locked eyes for the first time. She'd been drawn to him the moment she saw him, and as much as she'd tried to deny it, he'd recognized that pull and seemed as honestly affected by it as she was. She still didn't quite understand the whole Alpha-Omega-Beta dynamic, at least the parts that went beyond the simple mechanics of biology, but the growing bond between them was undeniable. A bond that would only strengthen over time once their relationship became physical…as it was about to.

Oh, she'd tried to downplay their connection, told herself it was just a game to him, that he would discard her as soon as he'd claimed victory over her, but deep in her heart – in her very soul – she knew it wasn't true. If Khan simply wanted to take her, he would have done so the first night she'd spent on his ship, after releasing his crew from their cryosleep.

Lost in her own thoughts, even more lost in the feel of Khan's searing kisses on her mouth and throat, the feeling of his body against hers, she barely noticed when the water was turned on. However, once he released her and began disrobing, she came back to the present in a rush, feeling the heat on her cheeks growing and spreading in a blush that went down her torso.

Khan turned and looked at her as he began methodically stripping off his clothing. His lips turned up in a wicked grin as he studied her red face. "How far down, Molly?" he asked.

She blinked and nibbled at her lip before responding. "How far down, what?"

He was completely naked now, and walked back to her, lightly running a single finger over her flushed cheeks and down to the modest neckline of her uniform. "I've wondered, ever since the first time I saw you blush, how far down it goes," he replied, speaking in that sinful murmur that turned her muscles to jelly every. Single. Time.

With a sigh of capitulation, she turned to give him access to the back of her uniform, lifting her pony tail and tilting her head instinctively. She heard the sharp intake of breath her submissive posture evoked, smelled the sharp tang of his scent sharpen further with lust and what she tentatively identified as need, and then his hands were on her, tugging her uniform off, pulling her hair free and his fingers running through the chestnut tresses, then digging into her naked hips as she bent down to remove her boots. He pressed himself against her, the heavy weight of his cock sliding along the cleft of her arse, and she shivered, fingers suddenly clumsy as she awkwardly shifted from foot to foot and yanked off her boots.

When she tried to straighten, his hands tightened on her hips, forcing her to remain bent over, her hair falling past her shoulder and nearly dragging on the tiled floor with its mosaic of frolicking dolphins and…were those mermaids? She'd never have thought Admiral Marcus to have a sense of whimsy, unless it was Khan who had approved the design? He had overseen the building of this warship, after all, and it wouldn't surprise her in the least if he'd incorporated his personal tastes. And when she realized the mermaids all had shark-like teeth and held wickedly pointed tridents in their hands, she knew her hunch had to be correct.

Khan, meanwhile, had finally loosened his grip, allowing her to straighten and make her way under the warm streams of water falling from hidden recesses in the roof, rather than from a standard spout. She approved, raising her arms and stretching as she felt the tensions of the day washing away beneath the shower. Tension returned, however, as Khan once again joined her, standing behind her, his arms going round her waist and his head lowering to her neck. Instinct once again caused her to tilt her head, baring her throat to him; he growled and nipped at it, sliding his hands up her waist until they covered her breasts.

Molly moaned, the combination of the rain-like fall of water and Khan's body against hers rocketing her temperature skyward. His mouth sucked determinedly at her throat just over her pulse point; it would bear a bruise in the morning unless she took care of it in Sickbay, but somehow she knew he wouldn't want her to erase the evidence of his claiming of her body.

He'd said he loved her. She wasn't entirely certain she believed him, but one thing she'd learned about Khan in the short time they'd spent together: he was completely honest with his crew, those who had earned his loyalty, his respect, and yes, his love. Was she truly one of those few, or was it simply a matter of compatible biology, the irresistible tug of hormones, the lure of pheromones?

Now was not the time to ponder such things, however, and she was quickly losing her ability to do so as Khan pinched and rolled her nipples between his long, dexterous fingers. He slid one hand back down her body, not stopping at her waist but slipping further down, stroking her center, wet with more than just the water streaming down on them. Molly sucked in a breath and eased her legs wider, reaching back with both hands to brace herself against his muscular thighs. She gave into the desire to grind her backside against his erection, feeling it slide along her cleft and the blunt head pressing against her lower back as she did so.

When Khan let out a low groan and thrust his fingers roughly into her cunt, Molly counted it as a victory. When he pressed her against the wall, her hands palm-down on the cool blue tile, her cheek between them resting on the same surface, her eyes tightly shut and legs spread wide to receive him, she counted it as a victory for them both.

**oOo**

Molly's surrender had always been a foregone conclusion; he'd scented her acceptance of him from the moment she first transported aboard the _Botany Bay_, and had known that it was only a matter of time. He'd been patient; he hadn't forced himself on her, content to wait for her to come to him, but his patience had reached an end; she wanted him, he wanted her – loved her, as he'd already told her although he could tell she didn't quite believe him. Why should she? He'd kidnapped her, stolen her away from her world and everything she'd ever known, everyone she loved, few though those people had been. She'd confessed to Maria that she was an only child who was estranged from her mother and whose father had died when she was much younger, that she didn't have many friends and no one special in a romantic sense in her life. Nor had she for over year.

He chose to view that last bit of information as a positive sign, even though he generally scoffed at the concept of fate: Molly had been uninvolved in any sort of romantic entanglement for exactly the same length of time Khan had been awake and on Earth, living the lie of 'John Harrison' and doing the late, unlamented Admiral Marcus' bidding.

Now she was standing naked before him, water sheeting down her back, legs spread and braced, waiting for him to penetrate her, to finally take what she'd been wanting to give him – but too afraid to admit it. If his impatience hadn't been exacerbated by yet another planet turning out to be unsuitable for colonization, he might have delayed this moment, but once he and his landing party had returned to the ship, the thought of returning to his quarters alone, without Molly by his side and in his bed, had proven to be too much for him.

He'd had The Idiot remove her belongings from her small quarters near Sickbay and bring them all to Khan's suite of rooms. Her uniforms now hung in the closet next to his; her underclothes and the few items of casual clothing she'd selected from the quartermaster's supply room were given their own drawers, her boots and slippers rested on the floor of the closet and her toiletries were in this very room, neatly stored next to his own. Where they should have been from the start.

Just as they should have long since reached this part of their relationship; her wet and ready for him, and him guiding his cock carefully between her legs, flexing his knees a bit, then bracing them with his hands on her hips. He was just as careful as he grasped her as he was as he penetrated her, not wanting to leave bruises on that soft, pale flesh, reddened now by the water. He had a fleeting vision of her flesh reddened for less innocent reasons: Molly moaning and writhing with heat as she underwent her first estrus, on her knees and screaming out his name while sweat dripped from both their bodies, but forced it away. There was nothing wrong with the moment they currently occupied, when their flesh was joined for the first time, her narrow channel stretching and adjusting to accommodate his girth. He felt the muscles flexing and tensing around his cock and gave voice to a ragged moan, half of contentment and half of need.

Then she thrust her hips backwards, taking his length fully inside her, sighing softly in pleasure; even the water pouring over their bodies couldn't wash away the rising scent of her desire mingling with his own musky aroma. He tightened his grip on her hips in spite of himself, pushing himself forward and then pulling back only to continue the movements while Molly sighed and moaned.

Then she did something that nearly caused him to completely lose control in a way he hadn't done since adolescence; she shoved back with her hips hard enough to cause him to stumble two steps backwards, and with a wicked grin over her shoulder, proceeded to walk her hands down the slick tile wall until she was bent over with her head toward the floor.

He growled, holding her body still, not allowing her to thrust back against him no matter how hard she tried. "Stop it, woman!" he barked, eyes screwed tightly shut as he fought to control both his breathing and his body's eager response to her actions. She'd taken up such a submissive pose, bringing her legs slightly closer together, enough to bring more delicious pressure against his cock; that, coupled with the mischievous expression on her face nearly undid him right then and there. But he was Khan; control was bred in him bone-deep, and it would take more than a cheeky little Omega – even this one, whom he knew without a doubt would one day become his bond-mate – to break that control.

He breathed in and out, four steady, controlled breaths, then leaned over and whispered in her ear, "You've chosen this position, my sweet Molly; maintain it until we both finish and I promise you will have no regrets."

She responded with a breathy, "Please, Khan, just shut up and fuck me," to which he responded by doing exactly as she asked.

Her words acted as a goad and a challenge both; he would make her come even when holding so awkward a position, and with that goal in mind he focused every bit of his formidable concentration on wrenching cries of pleasure from her throat. He released his hold on her left hip and brought his hand down and around to the front of her body, delicately circling her clit as he shifted his position, moving infinitesimally slowly until he heard her breath catch, telling him he'd found the sweet spot deep inside her. Then he built up his movements in speed while sacrificing nothing in the way of precision, his finger gliding over her clit in small circles, feeling the nub of flesh harden beneath his touch. Molly gave one long, wailing cry, her body going rigid against his; he felt her start to slip as her hands slid down the wall and returned his left hand to her hip, holding her securely against him as she rode out her orgasm.

She shuddered and nearly collapsed in spite of his hold on her, but he demanded hoarsely that she brace herself against the wall again and she complied, panting hard, small aftershocks still shuddering through her body as he inclined his hips and deepened his thrusts, focused now on his reaching his own pleasure now that hers had been – for the moment – sated.

He was silent when his orgasm flooded through his body, lips clenched tightly shut, eyes as well, his fingers digging into Molly's hips until he consciously relaxed his grip. There would be finger-tip bruises, yes, but nothing more damaging. When he'd come to his own shuddering conclusion he eased his way out of her body, watching in satisfaction as his seed dribbled down her legs, to be washed away by the shower. He ordered the temperature up a few degrees, helped Molly to stand, then tucked her against him and held her to his chest, resting his head atop hers and crooning endearments into the wet strands of her hair.

Endearments, and promises of the future he'd mapped out for them.


	6. Sabotage

_A/N: Thanks as always to my followers, readers and reviewers. Things get a bit Not Good in this chapter, so be warned!_

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Molly listened quietly as Khan spoke of bonding and knotting, heat and children; if she'd had any lingering doubts as to what he wanted from her, they were entirely put to rest with those alluring promises. She still couldn't entirely commit to wanting those things for herself, but kept her concerns to herself as Khan helped her clean up, his long, dexterous fingers gentle against her scalp as he washed her hair before dealing with his own.

Once they were both clean and dried, he took her by the hand and led her to his bed, just as luxurious as everything else about the captain's suite of rooms. The bed was nearly three times larger than her own – or rather, the one she'd formerly occupied. These were her quarters now, to share with this man, just as she would share that sumptuous bed situated below a viewport showing the flashing lines of stars as they sped at warp speed toward their next destination.

Molly sincerely hoped that the next world they investigated would turn out to be the one, both for the sake of Khan and his people but also, selfishly, for herself as well. She was tired of being in space, longed to feel the ground beneath her feet and see even an alien sun shining overhead. Khan hadn't allowed her to join any of the landing parties, citing his need not to waste resources in guarding her from potential dangers. His Augmented crew were all much quicker and stronger than she was, she knew that, but she still wished at least one of the worlds' they'd investigated had been deemed safe enough for her to spend a few hours on.

As she fell asleep in Khan's arms, however, her dreams weren't of walking under alien skies, or at least, not alone; instead, she dreamed of a dark-haired baby with solemn brown eyes and perfect Cupid's bow lips, being held in a smiling Khan's arms while Molly strolled along a sandy shore with the two of them.

**oOo**

Two weeks passed before the ship came into range of their next target planet. They were deep within the Beta quadrant by now, where inhabited worlds were sparser, and the distances between solar systems longer. Molly spent those two weeks preparing medikits for landing parties, enduring her weekly suppressant shots – Khan still wanted someone else to administer it, which irked Molly but which she decided to allow until the next planetfall – and learning what it meant to be Khan's lover.

On the upside, it meant deliriously wonderful nights having sex with a man who was both insatiable and incredibly sensitive to her needs, as well as getting to know him as a person while he did the same with her; on the downside it meant enduring snide comments from a few of his crew about how she'd finally taken her proper place. The most vocal of her critics were two women, Janice and Irena; her staunchest defenders remained Joachim, Maria and Gregor, with the remaining crew keeping their opinions, if any, to themselves. Everyone accepted her as a medical officer and at least respected her 24th century expertise, even her detractors. And they respected her position as Khan's lover, although she resented being called his concubine. However, she decided to let it go since he didn't take it as an insult and seemed puzzled when she did.

Everything seemed to settle into a new routine after she moved into Khan's quarters and began sharing his bed, and everyone seemed at least tolerant of the change in the status quo until once again the planet they explored as a possible home turned out to be climatically unstable.

That was when Molly discovered that someone's resentment about her ran deeper than she'd ever imagined possible.

It was another two weeks after that disappointing planetfall; they'd charted out several other systems to explore and Khan, Joachim, Maria and several others had beamed down for a four-day stay on the planet's surface. Molly was in Sickbay, quietly analyzing the samples that had been beamed up to her earlier that morning when Gregor stopped by to bring her lunch. She had a tendency to forget to eat when engrossed in her research, and he'd taken to joining her around noon ship's time when Khan wasn't available.

At first Molly had been suspicious of his motivations; after all, he was one of the few unbonded Alphas on the ship. But Maria had assured her that he was simply looking out for her, that his loyalty to Khan – whose life the older man had saved more than once when they were still on Earth in their own time – was unshakable. "He would never do anything to harm you, Molly, or attempt to undermine your relationship," had been the other woman's exact words. "He loves Khan as much as Joachim and I do. And," she'd added with one of her impish smiles, "he loves any excuse not to eat with Janice and Irene, since they spend a great deal of their time trying to seduce him, which he wouldn't mind if it wasn't for the fact that he knows they're just bored!"

To which Molly had retorted, "Then perhaps they'd be better off seducing one another!"

Maria had laughed, admitted that the two women had, indeed, done that already – and were still bored. "It's just in their nature," she'd said with a shrug, and the topic had turned to other matters.

Maria's opinion of Gregor's motives was enough to calm any jitters Molly might have; she genuinely liked the man and enjoyed his quiet sense of humor; not having to keep up her guard around him was a relief. The fact that Khan trusted him to keep an eye on her helped as well, although Molly doubted he'd be pleased to know that it took Maria's reassurances to completely put her at ease. Ah, well, even in the 24th century there were still things men and women couldn't entirely explain to one another.

Molly smiled as he put a tray of food under her nose; she told the computer to save the file and mark her last notes for rereading, then tucked into the pasta salad and chicken that was one of her favorites. She felt a faint stab of nausea but thought nothing of it; after all, she'd not eaten breakfast and had arisen early, as she always did when Khan was away. She'd been up since 0500 and hard at work ever since.

The second time her stomach protested, however, she pushed the plate of food away, aware of Gergor's eyes on her from where he was sitting at the opposite end of the room. That habit of his had irritated her until he explained that it wasn't a good idea for unbonded Alphas and Omegas to remain too close to one another for extended periods of time, even when suppressants were in use, because of pheromones. So he elected to keep her company but keep his distance, and Molly had learned to accept that just as she'd learned to accept so much about her new life.

Today, however, Gregor was on his feet and moving toward her as she stood, a look of concern on his face. "Molly? What is it?"

She shook her head and clenched her teeth, fighting down the growing nausea and the fever that she'd suddenly developed. "I don't know; maybe one of the samples I handled, an allergic reaction or something? I used gloves, but…"

She started to move away from the counter at which she'd been eating, but her legs felt wobbly; she staggered and nearly collapsed, but Gregor was there to support her, his eyes widening and nostrils flaring as he took in the sudden alteration in her scent – an alteration she was just noticing herself, even as she noted how incredibly good he smelled, even better than usual. "Gods, Molly, you're in heat! How the hell…I thought you were on suppressants?"

"I am!" she gasped, then doubled over as another wave of nausea cramped her belly and threatened to drop her to her knees. Without another word, Gregor scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the nearest biobed, laying her on it gently before stepping back. Sweat beaded his brow, and Molly understood exactly how much danger she was in as he took a deep, shuddering breath, hands clenched into tight fists by his side.

"I have to get out of here," he said through clenched teeth, practically snarling the words. But as he turned to leave, the Sickbay doors whooshed open to admit the last two people Molly wanted to see at this particular moment – Victor and Tomás, the other two unbonded Alpha males.

"Your message said it was urgent," Victor said as the doors closed behind them. He and Tomás came to an abrupt halt, sniffing the air, disbelief and hunger warring for dominance on their faces as they focused with laser-sharp intensity on her prone form. Gregor's lip cured, showing his incisors as instinct fought to take control, warning off possible rivals for possession of the Omega currently writhing in Stage 1 heat. He took a protective stance by Molly's side and growled at the interlopers, but they ignored him, drawn forward as if by magnetism by the sight and scent of an unbonded Omega female in so vulnerable a position. "She's not yours, Gregor," Victor growled, hands curling as his body's instincts pushed him toward the inevitable confrontation. "Back off. We have just as much right…"

"You have no rights!" Gregor snarled back, taking a step forward but no further. Sweat pooled on his forehead as his loyalty toward Khan came into direct conflict with his own instincts as an unbonded Alpha. "She belongs to Khan, not to any of us! We need to leave this room now, before he returns and kills us all!"

That last reminder of the very real threat they faced if Khan found them snapping and snarling over his Omega like dogs over a tasty bone got through to them; Tomás, who had been circling round the other two, backed up as abruptly as if he'd stepped on a sharp stone, and Victor gave an audible gulp. Gregor moved forward then, his instincts screaming at him to do no such thing, but his intellect winning out. As long as the three of them got out of Sickbay now, before Molly's heat entered Stage 2, they might actually survive to see another day.

But as they reached the doors, the feminine voice of the ship's computer spoke. "Warning. Intruder containment system initiated. All corridors have been flooded with anesthetic gas, and all interior doors have been disabled. Please remain in your current location until the atmosphere has been cleared."

In that moment, Gregor realized exactly what was happening here. Molly hadn't gone into heat due to carelessness or accident; someone had deliberately swapped out her suppressant, or replaced it with a chemical accelerant, while Khan was on the planet below, then just as deliberately lured the other unbonded Alpha males to the Sickbay. Someone wanted Molly to go into heat, to bond with one of the three of them, to no longer be available to Khan.

And Gregor had a grim suspicion he knew who that 'someone' was.

"Computer!" he rasped, keeping a wary eye on the other two. Waiting for the inevitable moment when their control would snap and the three of them would fight for possession of the Omega. "Open communications link with the planet surface. I need to speak to Khan. Now!"

"External communication is temporarily disabled," the computer replied. Of course.

"Gregor to the bridge!" he snapped out, wasting no time on arguing with the computer or demanding to know how such a thing could have happened. Not when it was obviously sabotage.

No response came; he tried contacting his second-in-command and then a general distress call, to no avail, before being informed by the computer that internal communications were currently off-line.

"Of course they fucking are," he muttered, casting a worried eye toward Molly. She'd curled up around herself and was moaning, her exposed flesh bright red and her eyes clenched shut. The scent of her heat was rolling off her in waves, permeating the air and easily reaching the three tense males standing by the sealed doors. If they combined their strength they could easily force them open under normal circumstances, but since the intruder alert system involved poison gas the Augments were immune to but Molly most certainly was not, that wasn't an option.

Tomás was the first to succumb to the lure of her scent, his instincts finally overriding his intellect completely; he growled and lunged at Gregor, clearly seeing him as the most imminent threat. The only reason his hands didn't connect with the larger man's throat was because Victor interceded, although clearly not out of any desire to assist Gregor. No, he simply was choosing to eliminate the easier of the two competing males; there was a dull snapping sound, and Tomás fell lifeless to the floor, neck broken, while Victor turned his attention to Gregor, growling low in the back of his throat, eyes crazed with bloodlust as he studied his opponent.

Gregor himself was past the ability to reason; his urge to protect Molly was no longer on behalf of their leader, but purely for himself. His cock was hard, throbbing insistently, and he noted the similar bulge in Victor's trousers just as the other man finally made his move, lunging toward Gregor with his hands outstretched and curled into claws.


	7. Rescue

_A/N: Thanks again to all my amazing followers and reviewers. Sorry (not sorry) to make you guys suffer before posting this chapter. Hope it makes up for it! Warning for sexy times between Molly and...well, you'll see!_

* * *

Molly watched, frozen in horror, as Gregor and Victor grappled with one another, lips curled in savage snarls. So this was two Alphas fighting for possession of a ripe Omega; so primal and deadly. Part of her responded to it with a fierce eagerness, her instincts screaming at her to stay well away and allow the two males to demonstrate their fitness to couple with her. The other part of her was screaming as well – screaming at her do something, to stop this before yet another member of Khan's precious family lay dead on the Sickbay floor.

On shaky legs she slipped off the biobed and grabbed a nearby hypo, setting it to the highest dose of the only sedative she knew that would work on an Augment. She rushed over to put herself between the two men, hoping that the element of surprise would work in her favor.

Fortune favored the foolish, it would appear; both men stepped back, stunned at her imposition. She saw them taking great sniffs of the air and knew it was her they were scenting; before they could either lunge for one another or her own self, she jabbed the hypo into Victor's neck, pressing the release with all her strength.

He went down like a felled tree, his eyes rolling up as he collapsed, fully unconscious and breathing heavily. She'd used up the entire contents of the hypo, but before she could fret over having overdosed him, she found herself with another problem: Gregor, with no rival to fight, had fixated on her and was closing in, mouth open as he panted, hands reaching, eyes wild and with no signs of intelligence behind them. Only raging need, as his musky aroma had already told her.

She didn't want him; he wasn't her Alpha, he wasn't Khan, but in the fever of her rising heat she made no move to resist when he grabbed her arms and bent his head down to sniff her throat. She automatically tilted it to give him access, a whine of submission rising from her throat as she did so.

There was no telling how far things might have gone if the sound of a transporter beam hadn't caught Molly's attention just as Gregor began nipping at her throat. Well, no, that wasn't entirely true; things would clearly have gone well down the road that ended with fucking and knotting and very likely Bonding if Khan's shout hadn't cracked the air. "Gregor! Stand down!"

Too far gone for reason to penetrate, Gregor whirled to face the new rival, snarling at the man he'd sworn fealty to three hundred long years gone by, clutching Molly tightly to him. Just as Molly feared Khan would physically launch himself at the older man, he whipped out a phaser and blasted him in the chest, knocking the two of them off their feet to crumple to the floor.

While Molly fought to catch her breath, the adrenaline having temporarily worked to clear her heat-fogged mind, Khan strode across the room, speaking into his communicator. "She's safe. Gregor and Victor are unconscious, but Tomás…" He fell silent as he gazed down at his fallen comrade, whose unseeing eyes were still open. Stooping gracefully, Khan reached out and eased the young man's eyelids shut. "Tomás is dead," he said softly. "Make arrangements. We'll have a formal ceremony once Molly's heat has passed."

She heard Joachim's voice responding, saw the reverent way Khan bowed his head over the younger man's lifeless form, and felt a stab of grief for the senseless way he'd died. Tomás had been pleasant to her, polite and friendly when so many of the others remained neutral toward her, but even if he'd been one of the ones to hold her in contempt she would still mourn him. Not as strongly as Khan clearly did, but then, she barely knew him. Khan, on the other hand, had known him most of his life, and she could see the very real grief he was feeling. She wondered if he would punish Victor for his actions, or if he would save his wrath for whoever had orchestrated this debacle.

Then Khan's eyes snapped up to meet hers, and she felt the breath stealing from her lungs at the intensity of his gaze. He rose to his feet and reached for her, lifting her into his arms, cradling her close as he opened his communicator once again. "Beam us directly to our quarters," he snapped. Then the hum of the transporter surrounded them, and Sickbay faded into nothingness as Molly rested her head against the warmth and solidity of Khan's shoulder.

They materialized in the main room of the suite; as soon as they arrived, Khan sprang into action. After carefully depositing Molly on the plush microfiber sofa – against her protests, he felt so warm and smelled so good – he pressed a lingering kiss to her lips, murmuring his promise to return shortly. Then he opened his communicator, barking out commands to someone – Joachim, she thought hazily as she curled up in to a ball and watched him striding around the room. "No one is allowed out of their private quarters except you, Maria and Gregor, is that clear? This ship was designed to be run by one person if necessary, and once Gregor recovers you tell him to clear the bridge and allow no one but ourselves access."

Joachim's voice came through, tinny and distant. "Yes, my lord. But what of the others who beamed down with us?"

"I said NO ONE!" Khan snarled. Molly flinched at his angry roar, startled, then shuddered as a flush of pure want heated her already feverish form. Without thinking, she began to remove her clothing; it chafed, it was too confining and sticky with sweat and she needed to be out of it, to feel the cool air on her body.

She lost track of the rest of Khan's barked orders, the haze of the heat intensifying with every passing second until her ability to think clearly was entirely lost. Once she'd kicked off her boots and shimmied out of her stockings and knickers, she stood up on wobbly legs and made her way to his side. He'd closed the communicator and was savagely punching in the privacy lock on the door, muttering to himself in some unknown language – Hindi, perhaps – before slamming his fist against the plas-steel door, denting the sturdy material.

This show of his superior strength brought a desperate whimper from Molly's throat; Khan whirled to face her, pupils dilating and nostrils flaring as he took in the sight of her naked form. She was swaying a bit on her feet, leaning heavily against the wall a few feet away from him; in two quick strides he was with her, once again lifting her easily in his arms. Molly twined her arms around his neck, pulling his head down to meet hers for an intense, desperate kiss. He responded with equal ferocity, his tongue thrusting into her mouth as she slid hers between his lips. His body felt cool against the feverish heat of her own, but more than that, it felt right, in a way none of the other Alphas she'd encountered today had.

Khan was hers, she might not be able to think clearly, but she didn't need to think in order to understand that basic, primal truth. He was hers, and she was his. And even though neither of them had chosen this moment, even though they had been ruthlessly manipulated by some person or persons unknown (Janice? Irena? One of the others who were less vocal in their distrust of Molly?), it didn't change anything but the timing.

This moment had been inevitable, Molly understood that now. And in her understanding, she pulled her mouth from Khan's and tilted her head, offering him her throat, not only for scenting, but in tacit permission for him to mark her. To bite her, to tear the flesh with those perfect, white teeth, mixing his saliva into her blood and her blood into his saliva and Bonding them together for the remainder of their lives.

**oOo**

When Khan saw Molly sagging against the bulkhead, naked and glowing nearly scarlet as her heat continued to accelerate, he went from alarmed to aroused – further aroused, as her scent had already tipped the scales in that direction back in Sickbay – in the time it took him to pull his fist from the now-dented door. He pulled her into his arms before he'd even realized he'd moved toward her, exulting in the smell and feel of her, feeling his reasoning abilities shutting down as she pulled him into a searing kiss. And when she ended the kiss, tilting her head submissively, clearly signaling her desire for him to mark her, he thought he would completely lose his mind – but not just with lust and need, no, but with the unexpected wave of fierce protectiveness that rolled through him at the sight of her offering herself so trustingly to him. Yes, it was partly the heat, the overwhelming pull of biology between compatible partners, but it was more than that; it was Molly, his Molly, finally giving herself over to him entirely, heart, body and mind.

He hadn't planned on sharing a heat with her until she made the decision to do so, but someone had taken matters into their own hands. Someone, he vowed as he lowered his head and inhaled deeply of the enticing scent emanating from Molly's body, who would pay dearly for not only doing this to his mate but for the consequences of those actions. Especially the death of Tomás at Victor's hands. Oh, it was possible that Gregor had killed the younger man, but Victor had always been far too aggressive toward perceived rivals, whereas Gregor had always managed some restraint no matter what the provocation, a quality Khan envied in his friend.

The sound of Molly moaning out his name brought Khan back into the moment with a vengeance; instinct brought his teeth to her throat, but he fought against the urge to tear into that tender flesh. No. He wanted this, desperately, more than he'd wanted anything in his life, but Molly needed to be fully aware of what she was offering him before he would accept that offer.

After their first coupling, she would be able to think clearly again. And if she offered her throat to him then…well. That would be an entirely different matter.

Instead, he contented himself with sucking a dark, purple mark into her throat, treasuring the feel of her rapid pulse beneath his mouth. She was gasping and writhing in his embrace, and his cock reacted by jerking against the tight black trousers he was wearing. Trousers that, like the rest of his clothing, needed very urgently to be gone from his body. He needed to feel his Molly beneath him, her sweat-slicked flesh against his, and he hurried into the bedroom, his mouth once again covering hers.

He lowered her to the bed and ripped his clothing from his body – literally in the case of his shirt, not bothering with the clasps that held it shut at the neck. The fasteners on his trousers were ruined in his impatience, but he couldn't care less about anything other than the woman lying on the bed before him, her eyes dark with desire as she waited for him. He kicked off his boots and landed on the bed, kneeling over her, lowering his head to take her breasts into his mouth, licking and suckling and feeling a surge of deep satisfaction as she moaned and keened beneath him. Then she reached up and tugged on his hair, her fingernails digging into his scalp encouragingly, and he heard her gasping his name, begging for him to fuck her. She wasn't demanding his knot, but then, she had no idea how much pleasure she was about to receive from that aspect of his Alpha biology.

But she would. He could hardly wait to see the expression on her face when he filled her, when her Omega body opened for him and they were locked together as his seed pumped into her. Just thinking about it made his cock twitch; with a groan he took himself in hand and pressed the blunt head of his aching member against her slick opening.

**oOo**

Molly gasped as she felt Khan's cock pressing against her entrance. He wasn't fooling around, but she was so desperate for him that it didn't feel rushed; rather, it felt like exactly what she needed. Him, inside her, moving with her, his body on hers. She pressed hard on his shoulders and raised her hips, encouraging him to fully enter her body, knowing she was more than ready for him. She'd been almost painfully aroused ever since Sickbay, and having him this close and yet not close enough was a sweet torture.

He moved, the muscles in his back flexing beneath her palms, and with one smooth thrust was inside her, fully seated, stretching her with that delicious burn she'd come to love. He felt larger, somehow, and she vaguely wondered if it had to do with her being in heat. Then he moved again and the ability to think was entirely destroyed at the pleasure stealing through her body. His mouth was on hers for a desperate kiss, then his lips moved to her earlobe and slid down her throat, once again sucking hard at her throat. It was wonderful, but it wasn't enough; she wanted more, wanted his teeth in her flesh, and turned her head to nip at his throat in an attempt to encourage him to do the same to her.

Khan growled and bucked against her. "Molly," he said in a strangled voice, "do you know what you're doing to me? For God's sake, woman, try to control yourself!"

She growled right back and dug her teeth in deeper. She didn't want control, not from herself and certainly not from him. But he resisted, keeping his mouth closed tightly as he rested his forehead on hers and gave another thrust of his hips. That distracted her into a pleased gasp, and then there was no more trying to get him to bite her and only the sensation of their joined bodies moving together in an urgent rhythm as old as time.

Her orgasm – the first of many, as she was about to discover – came over her unexpectedly, as Khan pounded into her. She cried out in pleasure, a series of sharp mewls as her body contracted around his, her fingernails once again digging into that perfect alabaster flesh and her heels pressed hard against his sculpted arse. She could feel his chest against hers, sliding damply as she sweated and arched against his body; with a shudder, she went limp beneath him, breathing hard as her heart raced and spots danced in front of her eyes.

Khan stopped moving as soon as she did, and she felt his gaze on her, hot and heavy as a summer wind. When she was able to move again, she thrust her hips up in a silent demand that he continue, and gave a contented sigh when he did so. He lifted her left leg and held it by the thigh, altering his angle of penetration and somehow managing to find exactly the right spot to send her spiraling toward a second orgasm; when it burst over her, she cried out his name, then gasped as she felt his already engorged cock seeming to thicken even more. Was this the knot she'd read about? It must be; the glandular ring at the base of his penis was enlarging in response to her Omega hormones, and she felt him forcing it inside her as his thrusts shallowed and shortened. He grunted with effort, she gasped in mingled pain and pleasure as he pushed himself even deeper inside her, and suddenly Khan gave a great shout, shuddered, and called out her name as she felt his hot seed pouring into her belly.

They lay together, Khan's weight kept off hers as he rested on his elbows and pressed soft kisses all over her face, ending on her lips. She kissed him back just as softly, feeling limp and content, and then feeling the onset of another orgasm even though neither of them were moving. She stared up at him with a gasp, eyes wide, as she felt the rising rippling moving up, up and exploding over her; he followed with a sharp gasp, eyes screwed tightly shut, then snapping open as the moment of unexpected pleasure passed.

"Is it…is it always like this?" Molly whispered, finally understanding what Maria had meant when she'd described knotting as the most amazing sensation she and Khan would ever go through.

He chuckled, low and deep, before pressing another kiss to her lips. "Not always this intense, my love, no," he replied, nuzzling her throat, dabbing at the mark he'd made with his tongue. Molly gave an inward hiss of pleasure at the feeling, and once again the aching need for more filled her. She arched her neck and Khan growled, a feral, possessive sound, before raising his head and staring down at her. "Molly," he said, his voice raspy and desperate, "if you don't stop doing that I won't be able to stop myself from biting you. And I have to know that you actually want us to Bond, that it isn't just the heat compelling it from you. Because Bonding is for life, you do know that; I know you've researched and spoken to others about it."

She nodded, caught up in that dark gaze; his pupils were still blown far back enough that there was very little of his blue-green irises to be seen. "I know what it means," she said, swallowing down a sudden surge of doubt. He'd already told her he loved her, but the context had been somewhat confusing; did he love her the same way he loved the rest of his crew, but with sexual attraction thrown in as a bonus? Or was he in love with her? Was he resisting the idea of Bonding with her, not because he was concerned about her feelings, but because he actually didn't want it, or had changed his mind about it?

"Molly, stop it," he snarled, bringing her attention back to him. She bit her lip, gnawing at it uncertainly until he leaned down and kissed her. "Stop doubting me. I told you I love you, and I meant it. You're part of my family now, but more than that, you're part of me now. You own my heart. You're my mate, the only woman I'll ever give myself to even if we don't Bond. But if you're willing, then yes, Molly, that is exactly what I want from you."

He was giving her time. Time to think, while she actually _could _think. Time to consider options she'd long been mulling, to make a decision she'd known she'd have to make one day. A decision, she was coming to understand, that she'd already made. So what point would there be in putting off the inevitable? Yes, someone had sabotaged her heat suppressant, forced this on her and Khan, but in the end it would have come down to the same thing: Bond, or not. Give herself over to him fully and freely, tie herself to him for the rest of her life, or hold onto the illusion of freedom saying 'no' would give her.

In the end, as always, Molly Hooper chose reality over any attempt to delude herself.

She met Khan's eyes and slowly, deliberately, tilted her head and exposed her neck to him.

"Do it," she whispered, and gasped as he immediately lowered his head and dug his teeth into her throat.


	8. Bonding

_It's when Bonding occurs, when you feel as if you're fulfilling a destiny you never even knew you had or could possibly want._

Maria's words flashed through Molly's mind as Khan's teeth tore into the tender flesh of her throat, bringing not pain but a flood of ecstasy. Bonding was like nothing Molly had ever experienced in her life; Khan's breath hot against her throat, his teeth gnawing and tearing at the tender flesh. She felt the warmth of her own blood dripping down her neck as Khan continued to worry the torn flesh, working his saliva deep into her bloodstream, and the sudden pulsing of his knot deep within her as well, bringing on another joint orgasm for the two of them. The knot tied them together, designed to keep as much of his Alpha semen inside her as possible, but she still felt the warm moisture dribbling out of their joined flesh.

It wasn't just called 'heat' because of her own escalation in body temperature, she realized with a flash of insight, but because of the myriad sensations of warmth that their joining entailed. Khan's body felt just as hot as hers now that her temperature had returned to something approaching normal, although she knew that it would flare up again less than an hour after his knot had eased.

And that was just the physical sensations of Bonding; Molly could hardly even find the words to describe the way it felt to have Khan's mind, his emotions and fragments of surface thoughts, drifting along her own disordered mental currents.

She felt his fierce love for his crew, his family…and his equally fierce love for her, tempered into tenderness as she shrank away, overwhelmed by the intensity of his emotions. Her own, she knew, were equal parts disorientation, wonder, and a cautious desire to believe that perhaps this new relationship was more than just a way to control her.

"Oh, Molly, how could you ever think such a thing?" Khan murmured, his voice gently chiding, his breath stirring the hairs on the back of her neck and bringing a shiver to her body. His arms held her securely, but not tightly; now that his knot had shrunk she could easily remove herself from his presence. His physical presence, that is; even as the Bond seemed to recede to a background hum in her mind, she understood that it would never be gone. That the only thing that could separate them from one another now was death.

Speaking of separation… "How did you know?" Molly asked, turning in his arms to face Khan. She could still feel his mind brushing up against hers, warm and reassuring, and decided she liked it, feeling him with her, knowing that feeling wouldn't abate even if he beamed off the ship again. "How did you know to come back, to beam directly to Sickbay?"

"I tried to contact you," he replied, lips thinning in remembered anger…and concern. Molly felt his concern, and it warmed her heart. He'd been worried about her; he'd known something was wrong when he was unable to get through to Sickbay, or the Bridge or anyone on board the Vengeance. "I have a program that I put into place when I designed the ship, one that allows me full access to all transporters even if they're officially off-line," he explained. His expression darkened as he added, "I see now that I should have put in a failsafe for communications as well, but I thought it would be more easily tracked. A mistake I shall rectify as soon as I discover who did this to you. Someone on my crew is a traitor, and they will pay dearly for what they did."

"I'm sorry about Tomás," Molly said softly, knowing Khan could feel the sincerity in her words. She reached up and brushed her fingertips along the curve of his cheek, pulling him down for a soft kiss.

When the kiss ended, Khan smiled at her, the softest, most loving expression she'd ever seen on his face – on the face of anyone, come to think of it. Certainly no one she'd ever had a relationship with in the past had looked at her like that. "Are you hungry, my love?" he asked.

She started to shake her head no, when her stomach gave a fierce growl; only then did she feel the emptiness in her body, or notice the dryness of her mouth. "Yes," she said meekly, while Khan smirked at her. He hopped out of the bed, unashamedly naked, and Molly's appreciative gaze lingered on his toned backside as he sauntered over to the food dispenser in the far wall.

"Your backside is just as delightful, Molly," he called over his shoulder, his smirk deepening as she blushed. "And yes, there are ways to shield your surface thoughts. I'll teach them to you. Later." He returned to the bed with a tray of fruit, crackers, cheese, two flutes of champagne and two large tumblers of water. "Drink the water first," he instructed her as he sat on the edge of the bed. He frowned as she sat up and attempted to cover herself with the sheet. "No need for modesty, Molly. Especially considering our most recent activities."

His smirk turned to a frown as she winced and touched her fingers to the edges of her new wound. "I would bind it for you, but when your heat returns, instinct will drive me to bite you again in the same place," he said, somewhat regretfully. "I know it doesn't hurt during those times, but in between I'm afraid it'll be rather painful."

"I can handle it," Molly said, smiling at him and taking a large sip of water. Then she took another, and another, until suddenly the tumbler was empty and Khan was taking it from her, pressing the other one into her hands. "Sorry, guess I was thirstier than I thought," she mumbled, and Khan smiled. She loved the way his nose crinkled when he was truly amused by something.

He said nothing, just kissed the tip of her nose and went to refill the glass. When Molly had drunk her fill, he took his turn, then fed her grapes and pieces of cheese and crackers while they toasted their new relationship, the last sip being reserved for a quiet send-off for Tomás. "He was a good man," Khan said after the champagne was gone. "He deserved better."

Molly was going to ask what would happen to the perpetrator, but a flash of sudden warmth distracted her, and she nearly dropped her champagne flute. Khan caught it deftly, set it and the tray aside, and once again slid into bed with her. She didn't need to have it explained to her; the next wave of her heat was upon her. The time for serious discussion was over; all there was now was her and the man she'd accepted as her mate.

It would be three days before she would emerge, sated, bruised, and dying for a shower. Khan bandaged her neck for her, cautioning her against using any sort of flesh-sealing medical tools as he had no idea how it would affect the visible mark the healed wound would leave. Molly argued with him about it; she had no desire to walk around with a gigantic scar on her neck if she didn't have to, but when he reminded her how important it was that the others have a visible reminder of her new status, she gave in.

As they were dressing at the end of the third day, freshly showered, the Vengeance's ventilating system working overtime to cleanse the air of the mingled scents of sex and blood, Molly finally asked the question that had been nagging at her, off and on. "What will you do, Khan? To whoever did this?" She gestured vaguely toward herself, knowing he didn't need even that much to understand what she meant.

She shrank back at the waves of tightly controlled fury that virtually rolled off him as he turned to face her, his face a grim mask but their Bond telling her everything. "No, Khan, you can't just appoint yourself judge and jury!" she protested, tears welling as she felt the implacable resolve behind his anger.

"Judge, jury, and executioner," he rumbled, pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly. She gave a token protest, but allowed him to keep her close as he continued speaking. "Molly, we are no long on Earth, no longer part of your Federation or Starfleet. On this ship, my word is law, and those who defy me will be punished. Whoever did this caused the death of one of us, and we are very few as it is. Tomás deserved to find an Omega of his own to mate with, to fulfill his potential, to die an old man surrounded by those he loved. So yes, Molly, whoever did this to him will be put to death as well."

"You want to send a message, so no one else tries to defy you in the future!" Molly protested angrily, finally pulling out of his arms to glare up at him.

"That is part of it, yes," he agreed coolly. "Because treachery of this sort is what destroyed our attempts to bring peace to Earth when we were forced to flee. I will not see us torn apart by petty power grabs. Once we have established a colony, we will need to work together more than ever, and I need to know that I can trust those I have gathered around me. Or else," he added bitterly, "I might as well have never left Marcus' tender care."

Molly was still unhappy and conflicted about his need to exert his dominance, to exact vengeance, but she thought she understood his motives. "I just…promise me you won't do anything until you're absolutely certain you've got the right person or group of people," she said. Not begging; she wouldn't beg. But she was his mate, and if she had power over these people the way he claimed she did, then she needed to stand up for them.

Khan's expression was frankly admiring as he reached out and once again pulled her close, his hand on the back of her head as he lowered his face to hers for a possessive kiss. "I've chosen well," he murmured when the kiss ended. "And you have my word, Molly. No one will be punished unless there is no doubt in my mind that they are guilty."

He left then, and Molly brooded over the fact that he'd worded that promise rather disingenuously…and that she couldn't even tell through their Bond if that promise was made to her…or to himself.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry for the shortness of the chapter, but I think this needed to be on its own. Especially since next chapter will be dealing with the whole "who is/are the guilty party(ies)" aspect. Thanks to allthebellsinvenice for doing a quick beta lookover, and thanks to my readers, followers &amp; reviewers! You guys already know you rock, but this is official word from me that you do so!_


	9. A Question of Guilt

_Khan goes on the hunt for the traitor(s). Thanks to benedicted-cumberbatched for looking over this chapter, and thanks to all my readers and reviewers and followers, as always!_

* * *

Khan had his two main suspects brought to the brig by Gregor, leaving Maria to guard Molly and Joachim in charge of the ship while the others remained locked in their quarters. No doubt they were all clever enough to disable to locks and free themselves, but in Khan's current state of fury, to do so was to risk summary execution, and so they wisely remained put while he began his interrogation.

As he approached the cell holding Irena and Janice, Gregor rose to his feet and saluted him silently. Khan returned the salute, then waited for Gregor to open the cell and allow him entry. Again, the two women incarcerated there could easily make an escape attempt, but then their guilt would be assumed and they wouldn't live long enough to leave the room.

"So," Khan said, staring at Irena, knowing that if either of them were involved, she would be the ringleader. "Someone has committed treason and attempted to destroy my relationship with the woman I have chosen to be my mate." Janice flinched at his use of the word, and he bared his teeth at her before returning his attention to Irena. "I will ask this only once: was it you?"

Irena met his gaze proudly. "You know me, my lord, you know both of us." She indicated Janice, who remained silent, eyes downcast, allowing Irena to take the brunt of their leader's wrath. She'd always been the weaker of the two Alphas. "If we felt you were making a mistake by taking a mere human as your mate, we would tell you to your face. Neither of us would slink behind your back like a pair of jackals."

"And yet you've made no secret of your disdain for Dr. Hooper," Khan snarled, fists clenching as he approached her, not stopping until he was mere inches away. Forcing her to tilt her head in order to continue to meet his furious gaze. A submissive gesture with no hint of submission to it.

"She is a perfectly adequate concubine, but taking her as your mate?" Irena dared to laugh in his face. "I know you would never be so foolish, Khan. I would have no reason to play such a prank on your little plaything; you'll soon tire of her and…"

She fell silent, her eyes widening as she took in the altered scent of the man standing before her. Khan noted with satisfaction the expression of fear that flashed across her face as she actually stumbled back a step. "Y-you've bonded!" she exclaimed.

The fear was very real; even if Irena – and by extension Janice, who was now actively cowering, hunching into herself with a soft whine as she backed into the wall – had nothing to do with the 'prank' that had nearly caused Molly to be raped and had cost Tomás his life, she had still expressed contempt for the woman her leader had chosen as his mate. His bonded mate, his for life, the woman who now shared with him equal power of life and death over the crew.

Including Irena herself.

Khan reached out and grasped a handful of the woman's dark hair, not caring if he tore it from its elaborate updo. With a snarl he pressed her face into his throat. "Breathe it in," he growled. "This is the scent of your leader and his bonded mate. Do not ever forget it, or your place in the hierarchy of this crew. You will show Dr. Hooper all the respect she deserves, from this moment forward, do I make myself clear? Or I promise you, Irena, no matter how long we've known one another, no matter how faithfully you've served me, you will join Tomás in death."

Then he yanked her head back, releasing her contemptuously. She sank to her knees, head bowed as she gasped out, "Yes, my lord Khan!"

Janice had also fallen to her knees, hands on the floor, head bowed as she hurriedly gasped out her own understanding and promises of obedience.

Khan turned on his heel, leaving the two of them in the brig. "Let them stay the night, to think on their arrogance in assuming they knew my mind better than I did," he snapped at Gregor, who bowed and raised the plas-steel wall, once more trapping them in the ship's prison cells. "The others will remain confined to their quarters until Joachim, Maria or I have determined who the true culprits are."

"You believe them, then?" Gregor called out, a mere formality since he knew Khan would have smelled any deception they attempted; he'd bedded both women frequently enough to be well aware of every nuance of their scents.

"They didn't do this." Khan spoke flatly, moving swiftly for the exit when another voice caused him to stop.

"My lord!"

He turned, walking with deliberate steadiness to the cell adjoining the one that now held the two chastised Alpha females. Victor was kneeling, head bowed, forearm resting on his knee, and he waited for Khan to give permission before speaking again. "My lord, a last request," he said, daring to look up.

There was no defiance, no anger in Victor's face; his flesh, normally a warm brown, was washed out, his green-grey eyes sunken in their sockets. "I know my punishment is to be death, my lord," he said, his voice raspy. Gregor had reported that upon awakening from his sedative-induced sleep, he'd screamed out his anger and horror at his actions. Yes, he'd always been impulsive, difficult to control, but he also knew how very high the stakes were now that there were less than a hundred Augments left alive.

"Under other circumstances, Victor, yes, you would be put to death," Khan agreed coldly. "But unless I am given evidence that you acted against me, that you had anything to do with this plot to separate me from Molly – "

"I did not, my lord," Victor replied unhesitatingly. "I will allow you to subject me to any form of interrogation you require to assure yourself of that truth."

"If it comes to that, I won't need your permission," Khan growled. "I am still furious at your lack of control; I don't care how many times you're exposed to an in heat Omega, you still need to govern your reactions. You'll spend the next week here, meditating on your actions and by all that we hold sacred, you WILL find a way to curb your temper, do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, my lord," Victor replied, once again bowing his head. Khan nodded for Gregor to open the cell, then jerked the prisoner to his feet, grasping him by the arm and waiting for him to tilt his head in submission. The nip he landed on the other man's throat was hard enough to bruise, and he brusquely instructed Gregor that no medical attention was to be allowed, that it was to heal on its own. Then he exited the brig, eager to continue the questioning and see exactly who had betrayed him. He was inclined to believe Irena and Victor, but he had some questions he resolved to ask of Janice in private if his other interviews proved fruitless.

He'd left Maria with Molly, unwilling to allow his mate to be left alone for any length of time. Not until he'd found the culprits responsible. And snapped their necks with his bare hands.

In the back of his mind he could feel Molly's presence, a comforting warmth where there had only been cold and darkness before. He knew she wished him to show mercy on her attackers, but she still didn't entirely understand what was at stake. For her sake he would make his justice swift and painless, else he'd be making plans for drawing out the culprits' deaths as long as possible. He just wished she could understand what a concession that decision was. She'd come from a much less harsh world than the one he'd been born into; even though the world was capable of spawning monsters like Alexander Marcus, she still had faith in Starfleet and the Federation it served.

Brooding on the differences in their outlooks, he nearly missed the signs of the ambush until it was too late.


	10. To The Rescue

Molly paced restlessly in the quarters she and Khan shared, feeling ridiculously confined even though the rooms were enormous. Maria sat quietly on the sofa, curled up with her phaser on her lap and a dagger in her other hand. The dagger, like the other bladed weapons several members of the crew now carried about their persons, was part of the booty taken from an Orion slaver that had rather foolishly thought the _Botany Bay_ to still be a Starfleet, strayed far from home.

That had been a particularly enlightening encounter – mostly for Molly, since there had been precious few survivors amongst the Orions. Khan and his crew were vicious fighters, but had acted as a well-disciplined unit, showing themselves to be the warriors they'd been engineered to be and not just an unruly mob, as the Orion pirates had been. Molly had been appalled at the violence she'd witnessed, but as a member of Starfleet – former member – she also knew that some of the Federation's enemies weren't to be reasoned with. She hadn't needed to have Khan point out to her that, if the tables had been turned, the Orions wouldn't have hesitated to slaughter the men and sell the women into slavery.

The sight of the knife worn on Maria's belt served as both a reminder of that disturbing encounter, but also that the other woman was well prepared to defend the two of them if necessary. Molly shuddered and looked away, hoping against hope that it wouldn't come down to that. Surely no one in Khan's crew was going to actually try and kill her!

"I can't believe anyone could hate me enough to try and kill me!" she burst out as she came to an agitated stop behind the sofa, digging her fingernails into the sturdy fabric as she leaned her head down and closed her eyes.

She was at the opposite end of Maria's perch, and looked up as the other woman responded to Molly's words. "Of course they don't. This has nothing to do with you, Molly."

Molly blinked and stared at her as Maria continued speaking, her voice calm and measured. "It has everything to do with Khan. This is a challenge to his authority, pure and simple. You're just…collateral damage."

"Well, I guess that makes sense," Molly said in a small voice, hugging her arms to her torso and turning away from the other woman. Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment; how could she have believed herself to be so important to anyone other than Khan? Of course she was just being used as a way to get to him! Khan was the target, not her. They weren't trying to keep her away from him, to keep him from mating with her, they were trying to…

She was half-way to fleeing to the bedroom but stopped as she felt a quick burst of emotion that wasn't her own – something sharp and painful but too fleeting to identify. Khan!

"Maria!" she cried, spinning on her heel and staring at the other woman in alarm. Maria was on her feet, knife and phaser at the ready as Molly dashed toward the doors leading out of her quarters. "It's Khan, I think he's in danger!"

Maria didn't question Molly, simply sped to the door. She tried to order Molly to remain in her quarters, to lock herself in, but Molly shook her head stubbornly and refused.

"Whoever is after Khan can get into these quarters no matter how tightly they're locked down. Besides, even if I'm not an Augment I still know how to use that!" She nodded at the phaser, and Maria tossed it to her without another word.

"Computer!" she snapped out, arresting Molly's movement with a raised hand. "Locate Khan."

"Khan is in corridor 12B on Deck Seven," the cool feminine tones responded.

"Is he alone?" Molly demanded before Maria could ask.

"Negative. There are two Augmented lifeforms with him."

That was all the information the computer could give them. Whoever was with him had no communicator for instant identification, and the ship's internal sensors hadn't been calibrated to track individual identities, only general life signs and species of anyone on board.

As they sped down the corridor to the indicated location, it was clear that Maria was holding herself back. Molly urged her on. "Go! I'll catch up!" She watched in awe as Maria nodded and sped away at top Augment speed, which she'd rarely seen displayed. Under other circumstances the scientist in her would be taking mental notes and wishing for a tricorder, but right now all Molly did was increase her own speed as best she could and hurry in the other woman's wake.

_**oOo**_

_I guarantee Dr. Hooper's safety while she is on board the _Botany Bay.

Khan couldn't help the snarl that escaped his lips as he recalled his words to Molly's former superior, Dr. McCoy_._ He'd already been forced to break that promise by the actions of saboteurs within his own crew, and now he found himself fighting for his life against two opponents who wouldn't hesitate to kill her if they managed to take him down. He'd been a fool and deserved to lose his life for his arrogance, but Molly did not, and he'd be damned if he allowed anything further to happen to her.

He had to admit, as he ducked a blow from his first assailant and swept the feet out from under the second, that he was disappointed to discover that the attack staged against Molly hadn't actually been what it appeared to be – a way to keep him from permanently Bonding with an unAugmented human partner. If that had been the case, if things had been what they appeared to be, then it meant that his people were still loyal to him, even if they chose to show that loyalty in so twisted a manner.

But not. Everything that had been done to Molly had been merely been a feint, a distraction, for a simple power play against him. He thought he'd weeded out the potential rivals for leadership before choosing which members of his crew – his family – to place into cryosleep alongside him. He'd believed them all to be loyal unto death, and it was a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that he'd been wrong.

And to discover who it had been? Even more bitter a pill.

"You seem distracted, Khan," Séamus taunted him as Khan narrowly avoided being sliced by the titanium-steel blade the other man was wielding. "Too busy playin' the loverboy for your little Omega the past few days? Feelin' a bit worn out, are you?"

Khan ignored his words, choosing instead to hurl a few insults of his own as he dodged the blade once again descending towards him. He saw the moment of vulnerability as Bastián took a second too long to recover from missing his mark, wrapping his hands around the other man's wrist and wrenching his arm up and back. Bastian let out a roar of pain as his arm was pulled beyond its limits, bending backwards as the sword clattered to the ground.

Releasing him with one hand, Khan brought his arm down across the man's chest and once again knocked Bastián to the deck, this time adding a well-aimed kick at the other man's head as he spoke. "I should have expected something like this from you two," he said coldly. "No wonder I scented shame on Janice, if not guilt. Your sister knew what you were up to, Séamus, but was too cowed by you to throw herself on my mercy." He snarled and kicked Bastián in the head a second time, hard enough to stun the other man into immobility before dodging another attack from the Irishman who had been one of his oldest comrades. They'd fought by one another's sides in many battles, saved one another's lives countless times, but now the craving for power had proven too much for Séamus, and he'd chosen a coward's way to try and take out the lead Alpha of their too-small group.

Khan didn't need to hear the words from his once-friend's lips to know it for the truth; his actions, his expressions, his very scent gave it all away. Bastián was nothing but a lackey, his loyalty to Séamus as unshakable as Khan had foolishly believed the other man's was to him. And now he was about to lose two more of his precious few Augmented family, because such a challenge could only be met in one way.

Death.

**oOo**

Molly felt her heart stutter in her chest as she heard the sounds of a fight someone down the corridor and just ahead of her. She'd taken a different route than Maria; part of her time had been spent in studying the ship's schematics, and she knew there was a juncture through the Jeffries' tubes here that would cut off at least five minutes of her journey if she took it. Her knees and the palms of her hands were a bit worse for wear when she crawled back out, but the sound of the altercation told her she'd arrived exactly where she'd hoped – and feared – to be.

She raced ahead, heedless of any danger to herself, clutching the phaser, which had been set to maximum stun. It would take a prolonged blast to bring down an Augment for any length of time, but even a temporary interruption of the fight would have to be to Khan's advantage. She could feel his rage through their new Bond, and just prayed that his ability to block surface thoughts – an ability he'd promised to teach her – would keep him from being distracted by her fear for him.

Heart pounding, sweat trickling down the back of her neck, hands shaking, she continued on, stopping only when she finally saw the battle raging ahead of her.

Molly's terror rose to new heights as she saw Khan, unarmed, facing two opponents with swords. Unfortunately he was between her phaser and the other two men – Séamus and his sidekick, Bastián, she realized as she hastily wiped the sweat from her brow. She couldn't get a clear shot, not without hitting Khan, and forced herself to take a couple of slow, deep breaths and focus on what needed doing, not on her fears for her Bondmate.

As she watched and waited for her chance, two things happened nearly simultaneously: Khan managed to disarm and knock Bastián to the floor, where he rendered the other man unconscious with a brutal kick to the head, and Maria appeared behind Séamus, kicking the sword out of his hand with a brutal grace that Molly could only admire. When he spun around to deal with the new attacker, Molly was finally able to get a shot off, and dropped him where he stood. He collapsed gracelessly to the deck, and Molly dropped her knees in relief.

**oOo**

Khan barely spared a glance for Maria as he saw Molly collapse to her knees, the hand holding the phaser dropping limply by her side. "Have them beamed directly to the brig," he ordered, grabbing Bastián's sword and hurrying to his Bondmate's side. "And Maria, thank you!"

He heard her barking orders to the computer and warning Gregor that new prisoners were being beamed to the brig, then tuned out everything except Molly. It was dangerous; Bastián and Séamus might not be working alone, but it was unlikely. He might have misjudged the amount of ambition Séamus harbored, but he refused to believe he was that wrong about the rest of the people he called his family.

He dropped to one knee and cradled her head in his hand. She handed him the phaser and managed a small, wobbly smile, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "You're safe," she whispered. Her scent was acrid with fear, but he could smell the relief as well as hear it in her voice.

"Thanks to you and Maria," he agreed gravely, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her lips.

"I felt it, when you were attacked, or at least I felt something," Molly said when the kiss ended. "Through our Bond, I felt something was wrong, but then it was like a door slamming; you shut me out, didn't you." It wasn't quite an accusation, but the hurt in her voice was unmistakable.

He smoothed her hair back from her face, tenderly tucking the errant tresses behind one ear. "I didn't want to worry you, and I needed to focus on my attackers," he said, keeping his voice as gentle as his movements. He knew Molly was still learning to read the scent clues around her, but hoped that his sincerity was clear. "I promise I will only block you when I have to, Molly."

The sound of the transporter being activated caught their attention; Molly turned her head to watch as Séamus and Bastián's unconscious forms vanished from view, along with Maria. The other woman was holding both her knife and Séamus' sword, and gave a small nod before disappearing.

Khan rose to his feet, helping Molly up. He would have taken her in his arms, but she stopped him with a hand on his chest and small shake of the head. "I can walk. We need to get to the brig."

She made as if to start walking toward the turbolift, but Khan frowned and tugged at her hand, stopping her. "I need to go there," he corrected her. "You need to lock yourself in our quarters until this matter has been dealt with."

"No." He gazed down at her, surprised and impressed by the steely resolve in her voice. Her scent sharpened, and he sniffed appreciatively as she continued, "Khan, we're Bondmates now. That doesn't mean you can keep trying to protect me by shuffling me off to the side. I know you're the captain, but this isn't Starfleet, as you keep reminding me, and if I'm to be any kind of a leader with you, to have some kind of position of power with this group, then I have to be involved in things like this. Those two men tried to kill you." Her voice turned cold, and the tears that had been threatening to fall vanished. "They caused the death of one of your crew and put me in a position where I could have been raped. I need to be part of this as much as you do."

A thousand arguments against her words sprang to mind; he gave voice to none of them, simply nodding acceptance and moving his hand from her wrist to intertwine his fingers with hers. "Together, then," he agreed, and they headed for the turbolift.

* * *

_A/N: I realized as I was working on this chapter that there was a big fat booboo I'd made: I'd never mentioned Séamus and Bastián before this chapter. If this was a mystery novel, that would be tantamount to cheating the readers of the opportunity to play along with the detective and try to solve the case by following the clues the author had written into the story. I didn't do it intentionally, and I've gone back and mentioned the two of them in the chapter called "Meet The Family" so future readers will be treated a bit more fairly. And I hope it's obvious who they're meant to be as well. So apologies if it feels like I'm just springing them on you at the last minute, and I promise to try harder not to do something so dopey in future._


	11. Crime and Punishment

_A/N: This is the penultimate chapter, folks. Thanks to liathwen &amp; allthebellsinvenice for looking it over for me, and thanks as always for the lovely reviews and words of encouragement._

* * *

When Khan and Molly arrived at the brig, they confirmed that Séamus and Bastián – the former balefully awake and the latter still unconscious – were safely behind the plas-steel barriers of two separate cells, with a silently watchful Victor standing in the third. In order to make room for the prisoners, Gregor had freed Irena and Janice, who knelt on the floor, hands on their heads. Maria stood guard over them with Séamus' sword held easily by her side. If not for the watchfulness of her eyes and the slight signs of tension in her body, it would be easy to believe she was fully relaxed.

Not to Khan's Augmented senses, however. And not to Molly's keen eyes, either. If anyone moved, Maria was ready to slit their throats, or quite possibly lop off their heads. The sword was certainly sharp enough to cut through bone, which was another reason the young Omega was grateful that Khan hadn't suffered more than the most minor of injuries during his brief scuffle against Séamus and Bastián.

As soon as the doors slid shut behind them, Janice spoke, panic clear in her eyes and voice. "I swear, Khan, I knew nothing about any of this!" She would have said more, but he made a quick slashing motion with one hand as he strode up to her, the acrid stench of his anger pouring from his body so strongly that Molly suspected even a baseline human would be able to smell it.

Janice whimpered as he bent over her, grasping her roughly by the hair and forcing her head up to face him. "Don't lie to me," he growled. "You knew. You took no part in his plans, but you _knew_." The last word was snarled directly into her face, and she flinched back, her eyes frantically searching for something resembling a friendly face, an ally, anything to show she wasn't alone. Irena deliberately leaned away from her, Gregor narrowed his eyes contemptuously, and Molly…

"Please, Molly, tell him I never betrayed him!" Janice cried, zeroing in on what she assumed to be Khan's weak point, the simple human who was never going to be their equal no matter what her relationship to their leader. "I was afraid, you understand what it's like to be afraid, I know you do!"

"Afraid and alone, with no one to take my side," Molly agreed readily, but she knew her own gaze was cold. Whether it was because she'd willingly taken on the role of Khan's mate, or because of the newness of their bond – or whether it was simply some part of her that had never been tested like this, she could raise no single shred of pity for the woman whose silence had caused so much damage. "Your brother told you his plans, or you figured out he was up to something, but you didn't say anything, didn't warn any of us." Janice flinched back, much as she had at Khan's approach, as Molly strode up to her and stood by her mate's side. "You could have saved _Tomás, you could have stopped this by telling Khan what you suspected, but you didn't." _

_Deliberately, she turned her back on the other woman and walked over to Victor's cell. "Victor would never have killed him if _Séamus hadn't tricked them into coming into Sickbay when I spiked into heat after someone tampered with my suppressant." She forced herself to meet Victor's gaze unflinchingly, felt a stab of triumphant surprise when he dropped his eyes first and lowered his head in a submissive bow. "You could have prevented it all. But you chose silence, and because of that…" She took a deep breath, turned and looked directly at Janice. "Whatever punishment Khan decrees for the three of you, I won't protest. None of us will."

**oOo**

Khan hadn't believed Molly could possibly go up in his estimation; for that matter, he hadn't believed she could surprise him any more than she already had. How wrong he was, and never more pleased to be wrong than he was in this moment. She'd told him she'd never understand his need for vengeance, and indeed, she probably never would. But this wasn't about revenge, it was about justice, and he was pleased that she saw the distinction.

"Irena, this no longer concerns you," he said, his voice a deadly rumble that had every conscious person in the room – excluding his mate, he noted approvingly – ducking their heads in instinctive submission. "Computer!" he barked as she rose, stumbling and halting, head still bowed and hands clasped in front of her, waiting on his next words. "Allow Crewman Irena Alliluyeva access to her personal quarters only. Once she has entered her personal quarters, lock her in as has already been done with the rest of the crew. Acknowledge this order verbally."

"Order acknowledged," the computer's digitized female voice replied.

Khan turned his cold eyes on Irena. "Leave. But swear your fealty to my mate first."

Irena's eyes darted up to meet his, then lowered once again. "I swear my loyalty to her as your mate."

"Not good enough." Khan's voice was a whip, and Irena jerked her head up, her gaze wide and frightened. He moved closer to her, reaching out and grabbing her by the throat. Not squeezing, not even close to choking her, but the threat was quite clear; he could smell the fear pouring from her body, and smiled grimly at the odor. "I want you to swear it to her, Irena, not just to me. It is the only way you walk out of those doors. I will have no traitors in my crew."

Molly was still standing in front of Victor's cell, eyes wide and suddenly uncertain. But she lifted her chin as she met Khan's gaze, and gave a small nod, her expression firming as she grasped his intentions. Her hands rested easily by her sides and her posture was straight as she turned her gaze on the other woman.

Irena's lips had thinned into an unhappy line, but she straightened her own posture and waited for Khan to release her before turning to walk up to Molly. "I swear my fealty to you as Khan's Bondmate – and," she added unexpectedly, "because you are far more than I thought you were, Molly Hooper." She lowered her head and waited for Molly's permission to leave before turning and walking out of the room.

Khan watched her go, satisfied that she meant her words. He started to speak to Gregor about the other prisoners, when Victor spoke up. "I swear it as well," he said. Molly turned to look at him in surprise; he'd lowered his head to her again, and she gave him permission to raise it before making her way back to Khan's side, looking somewhat dazed at that spontaneous declaration. As well she should be; Khan hadn't demanded it of him, he'd done it on his own. Good. He would see how many others would follow Victor's lead, and use his superior sense of smell as well as his finely-honed intellect to determine how many did so out of true loyalty – and how many out of fear.

And any who chose not to declare their loyalty?

"Banishment," he said, coming to his decision with seeming abruptness. Certainly Molly thought so; she stared at him, brow knit in confusion, but the others immediately understood.

"Not death, my lord?" Gregor asked, his voice formal and expression neutral. His scent remained neutral as well, not spiking with fear as Janice's was.

"Only for these two," Khan declared, not bothering to look at Séamus and Bastián. "Janice and anyone else who won't declare their loyalty to my mate will be confined to quarters until we reach a suitable planet, where they'll be delivered while we continue on our way." He bared his teeth in a dark parody of a grin as he glanced at the cowering woman still kneeling at his feet. "A planet where they'll be able to survive, but not one with the stringent qualifications I've had in mind for our own colony world."

"Mercy, lord!" Janice whimpered, daring to clutch at his leg, gazing up at him imploringly. "I will swear my loyalty, you'll never have to worry about me…"

"I won't, no," Khan replied coolly, stepping out of reach of her clutching fingers. "Because you'll no longer be on this ship. For now you can keep Victor company, since I know for certain you can't be trusted. Maria can relieve you, Gregor, and I'll trust the two of you to explain things to Joachim. After my mate and I have rested, we'll gather the crew together in the large briefing lounge on Deck 7. That's where we'll being the process of separating the wheat from the chaff."

"Yes, my lord." "As you say, Lord Khan." Maria and Gregor spoke at almost the same time. Molly, who had remained silent throughout, continued to watch quietly as Maria pulled the now-weeping Janice to her feet and guided her to Victor's cell. The young Alpha stepped back and watched stone-faced as she was forced to join him, holding her arm tightly when it seemed she would attempt to make a run for it before the plas-steel barrier was completely lowered into place.

"You know you have my loyalty," Gregor said to Molly as he fell into step behind her and Khan, headed for the same turbolift after exiting the Brig. "And Maria and Joachim's as well. But if you require a formal declaration…"

"No, of course not," Molly said, just as Khan replied, "Yes, when the entire crew is gathered. We will hear your oaths then."

"Khan," Molly said, sounding exasperated, "you have to be able to trust someone! You already know they weren't part of the conspiracy, you trusted them to look after me and the ship…"

"Yes, but this isn't just about trust anymore," Khan replied, knowing that Gregor understood even if his mate did not. "It's about renewing vows made three centuries ago, and extending them to you as well as to myself. Our group is small and growing smaller; we cannot afford to keep shrinking our numbers and still remain viable as an independent colony. Even," he added with a smirk as he drank in Molly's troubled features, "if you and Maria are doing your best to increase those numbers."

It took her a moment to understand what he meant; when she did, she came to a dead stop, Gregor nearly treading on her heels before apologizing and moving back a pace. Molly stared up at Khan. "You can't possibly know if I'm pregnant yet!"

"Your scent has altered," he replied easily. "And not just due to our Bond. Maria's scent as well. Don't tell Joachim," he added glancing over his shoulder at Gregor, who was grinning so widely his face threatened to split in two. "Let her do the honors, or perhaps his own sense of smell."

"My congratulations," Gregor said, his sincerity and happiness obvious even without the musky spike in his scent to confirm it. "Joachim will be over the moon!"

Molly still looked doubtful; Khan pulled her to his side and hugged her tightly. "We can stop in Sickbay if you'd like to run a scan."

"Yes, please," she replied meekly, sounding a great deal like the frightened young Omega he'd first brought on board. Surely the idea of motherhood wasn't so terrifying, not to a woman of her spirit! But no, he saw no fear in her face, only uncertainty. She was nervous, but he was confident she'd soon become as pleased with the idea of having his baby as he was.

After all, he thought smugly as they headed for Sickbay, it was only going to be the first of many.


	12. Only the Beginning

_A/N: Well, here it is, the final chapter of my longest Khanolly fic, and the first omegaverse one I tried to write. I hope you enjoyed it, and thanks to everyone for reading, following, and most of all reviewing. Rated M for smexy times. Catch you in my next fic!_

* * *

As soon as they entered Sickbay Molly beelined for the most sensitive of the medical scanners. She could practically feel Khan's smirk, or was it just their Bond? Oh, he was certainly feeling very smug at the moment, the git.

Not that she was of a mind to be irritated with him, not with the way he'd handled the failed assassination attempt. She'd been terrified when she and Maria had arrived to see him in the fighting for his life against Séamus and Bastián – terrified and, truth be told, just the tiniest bit turned on. She'd never seen Khan in battle, not like this, hand to hand against foes that matched him in strength and cunning. The most primal part of her thrilled at the sight, at knowing that her mate was so very, very worthy of her. Their children would be absolutely magnificent.

Speaking of which…she lifted the scanner and held it over her abdomen, holding her breath as the readings confirmed Khan's assertion.

She was pregnant.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist, and warm lips nuzzled the back of her neck as she dropped the scanner onto the tray she'd removed it from. Molly closed her eyes and allowed Khan to hold her, his scent and the feel of his warm embrace helping to calm her sudden surge of panic. "Khan," she said, her voice unsteady, "what if I'm not strong enough for this?"

"You are by far the strongest woman I know," he replied, his voice a deep rumble vibrating against her skin. She shivered, not from fear but from a sudden surge of desire; hadn't she gotten her fill during her heat? Apparently not; her nipples were hard and there was a sudden feeling of dampness between her legs, but she tried to stay on topic, because it was important that Khan understand what she meant.

"Not emotionally, or mentally," she said, turning her head so she could meet his gaze. "I meant physically. This baby is going to have a lot of…you're an…I'm just a normal human!"

His hand cradled her head as he pulled her around for a tender kiss. He held her like that when the kiss ended, her forehead resting against his chest and his arms securely around her until the panicky gallop of her heart had slowed back to normal. "Molly, non-Augment women have born our children many times and been none the worse for it," he said soothingly. "But if you are truly concerned about your ability to bear this child and the others that will follow, there is something I can do to alleviate your fears – something I should have done before we reached this point," he added in an aggrieved tone.

"What?" Molly looked up at him, laying one small hand on his chest and feeling his sudden intake of breath as she did so.

"When you look at me like that," he growled, pulling her tight against his lean form as the instinct to protect and comfort gave way to something far more primal, "I can't think."

This time the kiss was hard, demanding, and Molly yielded to it eagerly, sliding her hands up Khan's chest and wrapping them around his neck. He lifted her and set her on the nearest biobed, ordering Sickbay placed under lockdown to be opened only on his command. Molly watched, breathless, as he yanked his black shirt up over his head and dropped it to the floor. "Let me give you my blood, Molly," he said as he pulled her uniform up over her head and dropped it next to his shirt. He kissed her again, sliding his tongue along her lips until she opened for him with a sigh. He moved his mouth to her neck, licking at the tender flesh of her Bond mark and feeling her shudder beneath his touch.

"Wh-what will that do, giving me your blood?" she asked as he impatiently began removing her uniform, tugging off her boots and leaving her with only her knickers to preserve some (entirely unnecessary) semblance of modesty. "Will it make me like you?"

His expression was regretful as he shook his head. "I can't turn you into one of us entirely, that process was lost over three hundred years ago, but I can make you stronger, boost your immune system, slow the aging process." He caressed her exposed abdomen. "Give you any additional strength you might need to carry our child to term."

"And you can do that just by giving me some of your blood?" Molly gasped out as he stood between her legs, his hands on her breasts and the muscular length of one thigh pressing against her sex.

Khan nodded, his eyes alight with lust. "Yes. And I will. But not now." His voice lowered to an intimate rumble as he added, "Right now, Molly, all I want to do is make love to my Bondmate, mother of my child-to-be, owner of my heart. Will you let me?"

"Always," Molly said breathlessly. "Always." Then she curled her fingers into his hair, tugging his face back down to hers for a lingering kiss. He moved her closer to the edge of the biobed, shifting her knickers aside and plunging two fingers into her. She moaned and writhed at his touch, wondering as always how someone so dangerous, so hardened, could at the same time be so gentle and loving. Not that he was gentle for long; soon his fingers were no longer gliding but thrusting as their tongues battled and her hands began tugging hard at his hair.

**oOo**

Khan could hardly believe how well fortune had favored him when Molly Hooper had come into his life. She'd proven herself to be a superior woman over and over again, more than worthy of being his queen, his wife, and now – soon – the mother of his children. And yet she still somehow remained fundamentally the same women he'd kidnapped, her own sense of justice and honor still strong. If _Tomás hadn't been killed, if his own life hadn't been threatened, she would undoubtedly still be arguing with him to show mercy to the two traitors in his crew's midst._

_No. He refused to allow the condemned men any space in his thoughts at this time. Instead he focused on Molly, on bringing her to completion for the first time outside of her heat, since he'd marked her as his and Bonded with her. He watched, enrapt, as his cock moved slickly in and out of her while she leaned back on her elbows and wrapped her legs around his waist. He reached down and pressed his thumb against her clit, rubbing at it until she gasped out his name and suddenly clenched so tightly around him that he almost came himself. But no; he would make her come at least once more before finding his own release, and with that in mind he leaned over her body, plundering her mouth with his tongue, hauling her tighter to him with his hands on her hips. He nipped at her throat, softly at first, but as his pleasure built he found he couldn't control himself; he snarled and bit down hard enough to reopen the wound, greedily drinking in her blood as she screamed and thrashed beneath him._

_From the outside it might look as if she were attempting to fight him off, but secure in their Bond he could feel wave after wave of pleasure overwhelming her, could feel her love for him and the fear-joy of impending motherhood underlying it all. He made sure to send reassurances her way, of his love for her and their unborn child, the unspoken promise to always keep them safe, to place their lives above any others, including his own, and was rewarded by the sensation of her third orgasm drowning her thoughts in pure, unadulterated pleasure._

Later, when they presided over the ceremonial reaffirmation of his crew's loyalty to him, and their new-made vows to their chosen leader's Bondmate, he could hardly contain the pride he felt at both Molly's serene confidence and his peoples' unanimous promise to follow the two of them to whatever future awaited them.

The 24th century, which had once seemed so hostile and unwelcoming, had become home, and all because of one woman. He lifted Molly's hand to his mouth and pressed a fervent kiss to her knuckles, meeting the smile in her eyes with an intense gaze, promising without words what he'd already told her; she was his, and he was hers, and together they could face any challenge.


End file.
